Meet Cooper The Queen

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cooper The Queen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cooper, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

The saying an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree applies to me and my mama. I get my determined resolve for the positive from her. She fought a hard upbringing wrought with abuse and trauma. She was a convicted felon after protecting her life from an abusive partner. She was told that she would never be more than a statistic, Fast forward to her raising three kids, Being an entrepreneur, hospice care nursing assistant, and helping to secure social security benefits for people even when attorneys couldn’t. She proved that your circumstances don’t define your legacy.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

As Cooper/The Queen I am an educator, community advocate, and professional drag artist. My daytime career is the Undergraduate Supervisor for the Physics Department at UC Santa Barbara. There I work with the Climate Committee to address how to make the community more accessible to underserved populations. And work closely without at risk students to help them get towards graduation

As a drag artist, I use my talents to entertain and advocate. This can be seen through my work hosting events such as Oxnard BLM Pride and Ventura County Pride. I also host the monthly Drag Queen Bingo which raises money for different community non-profits such as Toys for Tots, MICOP, and more.

Finally, I serve as a Board Member and Diversity Collective VC. Here serve by planning events and engaging with local and federal governments raising awareness for the LGBTQ community and POC Spaces. All this while singing live and wearing gorgeous gowns.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

First I would say perseverance. My life and circumstances have not been easy. There have been many situations in which my size, sexuality, and race have placed stumbling blocks in my way, but you can’t know the true strength of character until you go through the storm and come out on the other side.

Which leads to my second quality, being brave. Being brave doesn’t mean running into burning buildings to save puppies, but rather, sometimes pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone can put you on a path somewhere great. I have had the joy of serving my community and bringing my community together for over 9 years. However, I never planned to be a drag performer. I was a big person with a big voice but mostly relegated to the support player or background spots. One faithful day, I was asked by my now drag mom, Trynity Starr, if I would sing in one of the drag shows. I said sure, unaware that I would be required to do so in drag. At first, I was resistant, but I decided to be brave. That first night in drag changed the trajectory of my life.

Which brings me to my last thought. Don’t be afraid to laugh! I look back on those first images of me in drag and I laugh! I have had some of the craziest things and saddest experiences in my life. If you live in that sadness, the weight can be crushing. I had to learn how to work through the emotion and bring joy into my heart through laughter.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

One of the biggest challenges for me is learning how to care for myself while caring for my community. I am somewhat of a workhorse. Whether it be my full-time job, drag, or community work. I don’t leave myself a lot of time for, me. I am actively looking to make time for my personal growth. This year, that meant performing in a play, and going to a pride festival as an attendee. Also making space for possible relationships.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Rob Echanique

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