Tue. July 14, 2026
CHICAGO, ILL. -
By Pidgeon Borek, Special to GoPride.com
As we move on from another Pride season, it is good to remember those that have been pioneers in our local communities. I have the honor of being friends with one of the most empathetic humans that has built a legacy for many in the Chicago Queer community.
Mikey Oboza has volunteered for countless queer organizations like Equality Illinois and the Gay Liberation Network, was the first Bi liaison for Center on Halsted, and is one of the cofounders of Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago (BQAC).
I befriended Mikey in June 2022 after meeting them at several pride events where they were representing BQAC. They were a beautiful dichotomy of visually loud and poetically quiet. You could feel the love they have from the moment you met them. I attended more events hosted by BQAC and as time went on I even got to see Mikey’s alter ego “Diva Exit L’Amour” during virtual queer book clubs. Their gentle presence was so impactful as was their ability for celebrating others. When you meet Mikey you know that you are seen and embraced for who you are. They have shown me how to remain soft even in the hardest of situations.
I have gotten to learn Mikey’s lore through different events and grabbing lunch together. Their life is one of perseverance and resilience. Mikey credits their mother as their biggest supporter. She fought through a challenging birth then helped them through years of occupational, speech, visual, and psychological therapies.
Mikey describes her as, “She has been my original hero of my story and the reason I'm anything good. She has been my biggest cheerleader, patient teacher, gentle reminder to do what is right, and unconditional love until I learned to love myself.”. With their mom by their side at age 16 Mikey came out as gay and a survivor of assault.
During Junior High School, Mikey learned visibility matters after reading about William Dorsey Swann, who created the art of drag in 1886. This inspired them to take their teacher's suggestion to dress up for the concert choir “There Is Nothin' Like a Dame" performance in 1990. They said this became the beginning of their own crowned camp drag queen journey. After graduating from special education in high school, Mikey wanted to give back some of the love they were given. During the 1990s, they were a volunteer with AIDS Care on Barry and Core Center, as well as caring for patients on the AIDS floors at Stroger Hospital during the day. At night, they were a nightlife singer with Keith Costello at Dandy's Piano Bar where they used their platform to help confront racism in Lakeview. From 1998 to 2008 they could be found volunteering for Equality Illinois with the late Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame legend Rick Garcia and the Gay Liberation Network with their peaceful "Out of the Bars. Into the Streets" rallies and marches. They even got to share a cubicle with the acclaimed June LaTrobe, who was Center on Halsted’s first Transgender Liaison. During their time with CoH, as their first bisexual liaison, they started Bi Social and Bi Movie Nights while still collaborating and confronting biphobia in 2009.
Through the years Mikey read about different movements that made huge impacts on them. The most prominent being Chicago Bi Ways, Action Bi Women, Bi Political Action Coalition, Chicago Bisexual Network, Bi Social Network, and I Am Visible Campaign. “I knew I had to do something. I had an original vision to help carry on visibility, community, and history.” This led to connecting with the late veteran, photojournalist, and Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame legend Ed Negron to help build something new. During LGBTQ History Month on October 16, 2010 BQAC held their first meeting at CoH. Windy City Times and Gay Chicago Magazine attended in support to document the well attended inaugural meeting. Since then BQAC has become a 501c3, hosted movie nights, helped contribute to MAP’s Invisible Majority Report, and produced a documentary about its history. In 2022 Mikey was a part of the celebration of co-founder Ed Negron’s street naming ceremony after his death in 2021. After BQAC Mikey has worked with Chicago Women Take Action with their drum Mom Jane, Illinois Handmaids as a Gender Trader, and volunteered for Gerber Hart Library and Archives. They have continued capturing moments of queer joy with their photography at events like the Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) with the Second City Sisters at CoH in 2025.
As we remember the past, we must also look to the future. When asked what advice they had for the queer community Mikey said, “ As someone who came out as a sober nonbinary asexual later in life, the one thing I learned that is the most meaningful is self advocacy. Learning to accept and allow yourself to be true to yourself in your own time and in your own wisely-selfish way through self-care, self-respect, self-love, and self-preservation.” Mikey says this part of their life is “a love letter to my inner child”. While Mikey’s story does not end there, I am truly grateful to the work they have done so far. The community has been enriched by their activism and advocacy. Mikey deserves their flowers. Thank you for all that you have done to spread awareness, care for those that have needed it, and build a more inclusive future.
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