“They always want to delete me, my placement, my history. Try to keep me the smaller, lesser than of… the little guy.”
- Name: Michael Cox (Known on stage as MikeQ)
- Born: November 3, 1983
- From: Newark, New Jersey
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Contribution/Impact: Speaks out about the under appreciation and lack of accreditation of ballroom culture.
- Occupation: Ballroom DJ, Music Producer
- Known For: Founded record label “Qwueen Beat”, worked on TV and Film soundtracks, released EPs like “Let It All Out”.
- Interesting Facts: MikeQ worked on the theme song for Legendary, an HBO Max show showcasing the world of ball culture and vouging, two major contributions to the world of music and dance from the LGBTQ+ community. He has continued to be the resident DJ for the show as well.
Michael Cox grew up in Newark, New Jersey. He found ball culture at an LGBT+ party at The Globe. From there, he went on to release music and would eventually move on to DJ at the very place he found ballroom, The Globe. Now, he continues to produce music, speaking out about the appropriation and the lack of credit given to ball culture by bigger companies.
Handout
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- Check out The Attic for more resources and events for Philadelphia’s LGBT+ youth!
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