Catiria Reyes

Catiria Reyes (March 27, 1959 – May 3, 1999), better known as Lady Catiria, was a Puerto Rican drag performer, film actress, and transgender beauty pageant winner. She was one of the main performers at the New York City Latino nightclub La Escuelita, where she entertained crowds for almost two decades. She was the first person to win two titles at the Miss Continental pageant in Chicago. Towards the end of her life, she became an advocate for AIDS awareness.

Performance career Lady Catiria began her career at the age of 19 years in the neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Queens, impersonating the Puerto Rican TV performer Iris Chacón. In the early 1980s, Lady Catiria moved to La Escuelita, a gay club located in midtown Manhattan, where she developed an extremely large following that would faithfully attend her lip-synching performances, especially on Saturday nights. Lady Catiria, who was a transsexual woman, stood out from other performers because of her body, looks, dance moves and penchant for exhibitionism. In general, she did not speak during her performances or while off-stage.

In the 1990s, Lady Catiria went on to participate in drag beauty pageants. In 1993, she won the Miss Continental Plus pageant, which features plus-size contestants. She then decided to compete in the Miss Continental pageant, which she won in 1995. She spent nearly $20,000 preparing for the contest, including dieting, working out with a trainer, traveling to Mexico to get liposuction, and eventually losing 30 pounds. Candis Cayne, who went on to win the 2001 Miss Continental pageant, credits Lady Catiria for motivating her to participate in this pageant. The Puerto Rican actress Rosie Perez also described being a Lady Catiria fan and attending her show numerous times, after John Leguizamo took her to La Escuelita for the first time.

Puerto Rican gay scholars such as Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes have written about Lady Catiria's importance in the gay New York City community. La Nueva Escuelita released a memorial VHS and DVD compilation of performances by Lady Catiria and has a prominently featured display case with her Miss Continental gown and crown. The nightclub also includes numerous photos of her on its website.

Prizes Miss Continental Plus (1993–1994) Miss Continental (1995–1996)