Ms. Colombia

Ms. Colombia (born Oswaldo Gomez) was a colorful and beloved performance artist based in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY. Ms.Colombia received her Bachelor's degree in Engineering and Master's degree in Law from York University. Ms. Colombia moved from Medellín, Colombia to NYC in the 1970's. Ms.Colombia was later diagnosed positive with HIV in 1988.

Ms. Colombia was featured in the docuseries No Your City, which profiled unusual New York City Characters, in 2015.

“They ask me, are you homo? Are you gay, are you lesbian? And I say, ‘No, I am [a] human being from another planet.”- Ms.Colombia in No Your City, 2015

"To an outsider like me, her getups were just flamboyant and fun. But they celebrated her Colombian heritage: The blue, red and yellow of the Colombian flag were often represented in her wigs and accessories. Her frilly white skirts recalled the pollera worn by women in her homeland as they danced the cumbia. But even if you didn’t know all that, her aura" was magnetic.- Dan Avery, New Now Next, November 2018

“She was beloved by all who saw her in the streets, at parades, and in the neighborhood wearing her colorful outfits and a bird on her shoulder. Her cheerfulness and ability to bring a smile to the faces of all who met her will be missed by all New Yorkers...While life did not always treat Ms. Colombia with all the respect she was due, New Yorkers will remember Ms. Colombia as a hero to everyone.”- City Council Member Daniel Dromm