Ms. Colombia

Ms. Colombia (born Oswaldo Gomez; 1954 – 4 October 2018) was a Colombian-American LGBTQ icon and performer, known for her presence in the New York City community. Ms. Colombia entertained crowds at public events such as parades and in spaces such as Coney Island, Riis Beach and the Queens Pride Parade with her colorful outfits, dyed beard, and pets such as her poodle Cariño and parrot Rosita as well as with humor. Ms. Colombia became known under many nicknames, including La Paisa, Queen of Riis Park, and the Queen of Queens.

Biography

Early years Ms. Colombia was born Oswaldo Gomez in Medellín, Colombia. In Colombia, she trained as a lawyer.

Adult life

Immigration to the United States Ms. Colombia immigrated to New York in 1975 out of a desire for freedom of expression and noted in the documentary series No Your City that "I decided to come to the United States for my own freedom, because by the time I left my country, nobody can dress like this — they’d kill you." thumb Ms Colombia at the 2013 St. Pat's for All Parade in Queens, NY.

AIDS diagnosis and development of Ms. Colombia personality In 1988, soon after finishing her master's degree in Law from York University, Ms. Colombia was diagnosed with HIV and was told by a doctor that she had one year left to live.

Sexuality and gender identity Ms. Colombia self-identified as gay Ms. Colombia was a member of the Colombian Lesbian and Gay Association. There is an informal, publicly maintained memorial dedicated to Ms. Colombia at Bay 1 of Jacob Riis Park on a chainlink fence.

Ms. Colombia's outfits at times recalled her Colombian heritage, featuring red, yellow, and blue (the country's flag colors) and wearing skirts that were similar to pollera traditionally worn by Colombian women.

Ms. Colombia made jokes and laughed even in the face of hostility and homophobia from crowds, but she was mostly loved and applauded. Ms. Colombia "arbitrarily charged some onlookers $1 for his picture."

Cariño the poodle Cariño was a white poodle. Cariño's fur was frequently dyed various colors, often to match Ms. Colombia's beard. Cariño lived to at least 17 years old and died in May 2014.

Rosita the parrot Rosita was an African Grey Parrot. Rosita frequently could be found riding on Ms. Colombia's head or shoulder or on Cariño the poodle's back.

In popular culture Ms Colombia was featured in an episode of the documentary series No Your City.

On August 23, 2024, a segment on NPR’s Morning Edition and StoryCorps podcast entitled "Remembering Ms. Colombia, An Icon Who Sparkled at NYC’s Riis Beach" interviewed two of Ms. Colombia's friends, Victoria Cruz and Carlos Villacres.