Known as the first openly trans woman in Santa Clara, Juana originally was given the name the "Queen Mother" while she was in prison. Her story is one of discrimination and persecution, but through it all, she has remained rebellious, tenacious, and relentlessly Juana Candela (Juana on Fire). B...

Lola Flores is a city street sweeper by day and a drag performer by night. Now in her mid-sixties, Lola was one of the pioneers of drag performance in Cuba. She began performing during the 90’s amidst the hardships of the severe economic recession of that period. Having no makeup or clothes to pe...

When the HIV crisis hit Cuba, the government responded by rounding up individuals suspected of being infected. Everyone who tested positive was held indefinitely in medical isolation facilities called sanitoriums. Crespo was detained in one of these facilities near Santa Clara for 15 years. For t...

Artist, activist, and drag performer, Javier identifies as he/him when not performing, and as Sinthya, she/her when on stage. Javier has always had one dream: to be recognized as a professional artist in Cuban society. Sinthya travels to small towns in the countryside around Santa Clara, using he...

In the early days of Cuban drag, there were limited resources for performers. They borrowed wigs, made DIY makeup, and faced brutal consequences for expressing who they were. Joel’s stories are both joyous and horrifying. Despite everything that he has lived through, Joel has stayed in Cuba to fi...

Nomi is a fashionable and glamorous drag performer and community organizer. Sassy performances on the stage are contrasted with her work as an organizer with CENESEX, Cuba’s LGBTQ justice organization, which is led by Mariela Castro, daughter of former Cuban President, Raul Castro. Through Nomi’s...