Michael, tell me about the time you stepped into your queer identity?
Michael — When I was 18, I moved to Florence, Italy to study abroad. After arriving at my residence, I was introduced to my roommate Mars, who was the first non-binary person I met. Although this was new to me, I recognized how important it was to them that we respect their pronouns.
Sharing space with Mars allowed me to step into my queerness. We would discuss gender all the time [and] share makeup and nail polish- forms of expression I didn’t allow myself to experience when I lived in the states. Back home, I was lucky enough to have the support of my family, but I saw this as an opportunity to experiment with my look and get in touch with my femininity.
How did you get into the Ballroom world?
M — I was introduced to Ballroom By Jason Rodriguez, who plays Lamar on the FX series Pose. Jason invited me to my first ever ball, OTA weekly, produced By Leggoh JoVera at 3 Dollar Bill in Brooklyn, New York. Jason ended up missing the ball due to work, but I was already there and I thought I might as well have a ki'. But luckily I was there with my friends and the next category was face. I was like, ‘I should walk,’ and my friends were really supportive. So I ended up stepping into the light, walking the category, and getting 10s by some of the panel, but also getting chopped by some of them because I wasn’t smiling. They ended up cutting the music and saying, ‘If you did not do your research coming to the ball, make sure you do your research before you come to the ball.’ They were telling me to smile and that was the reason why I didn’t get my 10s. Luckily they let me walk again. I had my second chance and I ended up getting Grand Prize that night. After that night, I was just like, ‘I have to be back.’ Then I went back every single Monday.
Tell me about some of the members of the Collective
M— Last June of 2020, when the Angelito Collective came into conception, we were introduced to Alfonso Estrada. At the time, they were organizing their first-ever birthday fundraiser to support the community in Corona, Queens during the pandemic. Alfonso helped Demi and I curate our first, digital fundraiser in support of La Red Comuntaria Trans in the Red Light District of Colombia.
D— With this fundraiser, we were able to raise 17,000 dollars that provided on-the-ground resources as well as supported costs towards housing for trans women.
M — Sinn had painted my face a couple of times before she officially joined our team. We knew Sinn’s innovative makeup style would be perfect in the development of the ‘Toxic’ characters, a short film we shot in the fall of 2020, inspired by Michael Jackson’s Thriller. After her exceptional work on set, and her commitment to help us create space for members in the community, we knew we needed a star like her in our team.
M— Cheyenne and I go way back- we met in high school. Early on in our relationship, we enjoyed imagining all that our lives could be and how excited we were to attain those things for ourselves and others. One of the things we dreamt about was making a short film. Her background in screenwriting and her excitement to direct made her the perfect fit to help us bring ‘Toxic’ to fruition.
D— When we finalized the script for ‘Toxic’ we were in search of a videographer that could execute our vision. By the divine synchronicity of the universe, we were guided to have Jordan Shelwood, who shot and edited ‘Toxic.’ Jordan’s interpretation of our story was perfectly translated to telling the story of a black trans woman struggling to navigate the social barriers and challenges of a heteronormative world.
Any future projects from the Angelito Collective?
D— During the pandemic, I was able to do my 200hrs Yoga Teachers certification and this journey has inspired me to set renewed intentions for how I can create spaces of healing in the community. As I return to New York this Pride weekend, I will be leading the Angelito Collective’s first Heal In community yoga class.
M— As for creative projects, the Angelito Collective is working on a fashion film campaign with an NYC Femme footwear brand. We are also in the process of planning our first in-person community gathering and other mutual aid programming. This year we are also being highlighted in the We The Collective documentary, centered on NYC’s nightlife economy and the black and brown LGBTQIA+.