O REGON S L E SBIAN/GAY/Bl/TRANS/QUEER NEWSMAGAZINE
MAY 21. 2010
21
.W
Latino Lumination
Drag pioneer Meesha Peru brings dash of divo to Latino Gay
For pioneering Latino drag queen M ee­
sha Peru—aka Carlos Quezada—the long
road to regional royalty was paved first with
apprehension, later with pageantry crowns,
in one of the most inspiring diva careers in
Oregon’s history. The road here was long, too,
beginning in Lima, Peru, where Quezada
was born.
Quezada has lived in Portland for three
/ lA A it/ l/ k n
M
1C
1
i i
./ w
a
m
V
T - v _
/V M A
T . *- « f . . 1
night out at Darcelle XV some 25 years ago,
Quezada may have never been introduced to
the queen within, Ms. Meesha Peru.
Quezada’s first run-in with competing in
pageantry contests began when some of his
friends encouraged him to vie for Mr. Hunky,
a contest for—you guessed it—hunky guys.
Quezada ran for and received every other
title the pageant could bestow, including
Mr. Congeniality, Mr. Inspiration and Best
Talent—everything but Mr. Hunky. Shortly
after, a “Turnabout Show” at Darcelle’s
prompted yet another foray into the com­
petitive spotlight, where once again he was
coaxed into entering... this time in drag.
“I said, ‘No way, I would never wear wom­
ens clothes,’"explained Quezada of that night.
“I said, ‘First of all, I have nothing,’ and they
said, ‘Don’t worry, we have somebody down in
the basement at Darcelle’s to help you with
the stuff. Anyway, they convinced me, and I
did it. I guess I was the best looking one!”
W hat transpired was an avalanche of
performance, hosting and emceeing oppor­
tunities for Quezada, whose onstage persona
was christened Meesha Peru. He was soon
offered a guest spot every Monday and Tues-
J A.. A«. TY a
a
C aaa L
A a A a
J
by Sister Paula Nielsen.
“I was doing one number [at Catch a
Rising Star] for a long time, and helping
do the women’s makeup,” said Quezada of
the early years. “After that, they fired one of
the showgirls, and they said, ‘You’re next.’
I said, ‘W haaaat?’ So then I started to do
more production numbers and got to be
part of the cast.”
Quezada’s star rose even higher when
Rose Empress XXXII Poison Waters—a
longtime collaborator of Quezada’s—asked
him to be the Rose Princess that year, travel­
ing all over the United States and parts of
Canada representing Portland.
Despite the initial hesitation, Quezada’s
theatrical flair was bound to surface sooner
or later, his family having been steeped in
the entertainment business
in Peru.
“In the past, I always
liked to perform,” explained
Quezada. “I was part of a
company in Lima, where I
studied theater. M y grandfa­
ther was on TV, and I had an
uncle who had a radio station,
i
i
•
j
r
•
.
i_
t
•
because of my family. I think
that’s why I like to be on the stage.”
Quezada’s status as a groundbreaking
Latino face in the world of drag was marked
by being crowned the first Miss Gay Latina
in 1998 for all of Oregon. After several run­
ner-up finishes, Peru received top honors for
La Femme Magnifique in 1999-2000.
Quezada attributes his success and noto­
riety to graduating from the school of Dar­
celle and Roxy (Darcelle’s partner).
“I always mention to everybody who
wants to become a performer to take a look at
Darcelle’s, and watch Darcelle perform, and
be part of Darcelle’s,"said Quezada. “For me,
Darcelle, Roxy and company was my school.
They were the best teachers I could have.”
Quezada continues to emcee for the Miss
Gay Latina pageant, the
Miss Gay Latina interna­
tional contest and emceed
Latino Gay Pride for the last
three years, but is currently
on a break from regular
performances after six years
of hosting Silverado’s Latino
night. Fret not, though: Peru
will appear as part of La Lu-
cha 2010 in the Reina de la
Lucha competition.
Quezada’s involvement in Portland La­
tino Gay Pride is rooted in the organization’s
pledge to assist young, queer Latinos to come
out and embrace who they are.
“I believe that Latino Gay Pride has
helped a lot for Latinos to be themselves,”
said Quezada. “To come out, and say, ‘I’m
queer, I’m gay, I’m here, and I’m going shop-
ping. yyy OW
Meesha Peru w ill be honored this yea r w ith
a M ariposa A ward fo r com m unity involvem ent
and ga y Latino awareness. She perform s Sun­
day, Ju n e 6 at the Portland Latino Gay Pride
F estival at the Ju p iter Hotel. There is a $5 sug­
gested donation, and the even t is 21 and over.
W hat Good Is a Warm Home When
the Bills Give You the Chills?
Heating. Cooling. And Beyond.
Sky Heating & AC has proudly served the
Portland metro area for over 30 years. Our
N.A.T.E. certified technicians can service
your Trane® furnace, air conditioner or
heat pump. We also repair all other
brands! Call Sky Heating & AC your #1
choice for heating and cooling needs.
■■if
Get the best system with the best warranty to go with it.
Sky Heating & AC
TRAMS
1635 SE Nehalem St. Portland OR 97202
503 235-9083
-
A fk
Hard 1b Step A 7 hnne‘
w w w .skyheatin g .co m
*To download and print the government's summary of Energy Star Products that are eligible for HVAC credits for homeowners,
visit www.energystar.gove/taxcredit.
Ashley Try
EA/E W HO YOU APE BEHIND
PORTLAND PRIDE '10
Broker
Knipe Realty NW, Inc.
Direct 5 0 3 .6 8 0 .7 8 2 3
ashley@imovegroup.com
www.kniperealty.com
o be the recipient, of a 100'
Campaign Corporate Fquc
utivé years, including 2010
We Will Meet Your Needs
Jalyn Moore
Loan Officer
Sound Mortgage, Inc.
G a y Lesb'dn, B ise xu al, T a n s g e r d e r A F rien d s N etw ork
D irect: 5 0 3 -3 2 0 -0 4 1 7
jalynmoore@soundmtg.com
www.jalynmooresoundlending.com
!