New York LGBTQ icon, Ms. Colombia (whose birth name was Osvaldo Gomez) was found dead in the water at Jacob Riis Beach in Queens. According to New York Daily News, here were no apparent signs of trauma, and it's believed that she drowned. “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,” Council Member Daniel Dromm told The Jackson Heights Post. “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.” In 2015, Ms. Colombia was featured in No Your City, a docu-series that profiled unique characters in New York. It explored her HIV diagnosis in the '80s and how she decided to live "day by day." In New York, she felt free to live the life she wanted. “I like to be free," she says in the video. "They ask me, are you homo? Are you gay, are you lesbian? And I say, no, I am human being from another planet." A vigil for Ms. Colombia will be announced soon. Watch her episode of No Your City below:<doc-sep>(No Your City/Youtube) A “colourful and creative character,” an “icon,” a “New York legend.” These were some of the dozens of epithets remembering Osvaldo Gomez, better known as Ms. Colombia, who died on Thursday (October 4). The body of the 64-year-old was found in the waters off Jacob Riis Park, a seaside location in New York‘s borough of Queens, around 3.30am, local news outlet Jackson Heights Post reported. The authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the death, but no foul play is suspected. New York City Council member Daniel Dromm, who represents Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, also confirmed the sad news in a statement which read, in part: “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.” An iconic figure in the borough of Queens easily spotted due to the extravagant and colourful outfits, Ms. Colombia’s story became more widely known when she was featured in the docuseries No Your City, dedicated to prominent characters in the Big Apple. Before arriving in the US in 1975, Gomez had been a law graduate in Colombia, but left the country to escape the drug-related violence that had been sweeping the country. Ms. Colombia, who contracted HIV in the 1980s and worked to raise awareness of the condition, loved New York and refused all labels. “I like to be free,” the icon said in the docuseries, adding: “They ask me: ‘Are you homo? Are you gay? Are your lesbian?’ And I say: ‘No, I am a human being from another planet. '” Dromm, who met Ms Colombia at various Pride celebrations in New York, announced that a vigil will be held on Friday. “Memorial VIGIL for Ms. Colombia, tomorrow, Fri., 10/5 at 7 pm at Jax Heights Post Office, 37 Ave & 78 Street. Join family and friends. Come share your memories with our community,” he tweeted. Many people who had met Ms. Colombia already began sharing their memories on social media. “This has me emotional. All New Yorkers know what a loss this is. RIP Ms Colombia. Thank you for being you. I was always so happy when our paths crossed. You were always warm and welcoming. You certainly were a human being from another planet. Thank you for the fun. I hope you’re living your best self on another beautiful journey now,” one Facebook user wrote in a post. A Twitter user posted: “Really is sad to hear the news today about Ms.Colombia. Truly such an amazing human being. Unique in her ways I grew up around her and she knew me by heart. Truly a heart break. Rest in Paradise Queen. #MsColombia” Irish drag queen and LGBT+ rights activist Panti Bliss also paid tribute to Ms. Colombia, sharing a picture of the two of them together in a tweet with the caption: “R.I.P. Ms Colombia. I trust there’s a comfortable spot in a colorful celestial menagerie somewhere with her name on it.”<doc-sep>“She was beloved by all who saw her in the streets, at parks and in the neighborhood wearing her colorful outfits and a bird on her shoulder,” he said in a statement. “Her cheerfulness and ability to bring a smile to the faces of all who met her will be missed by all New Yorkers."<doc-sep>
An LGBTQ icon of Queens, New York, has been found dead at a beach. Osvaldo Gomez, 64, known as Ms Colombia by the community, was found around 3.30am Thursday in the waters off Jacob Riis Park - an area of Rockaway Beach. Police say there were 'no obvious signs of trauma' and Gomez is believed to have drowned. Gomez was known for wearing eccentric outfits, often accessorized with a live bird, and was 'an iconic figure' in the community. The body of Osvaldo Gomez, 64, was found in the waters off Rockaway Beach early Thursday morning Gomez was an LGBTQ icon in Queens, known for wearing colorful and eccentric outfits City Council member Daniel Dromm said: 'She was beloved by all who saw her in the streets, at parks 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,' Dromm said in a statement. Gomez, an immigrant from Medellin, Colombia, marched in the very first Queens Pride Parade in 1993 and other parades across New York City. '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,' Dromm told the Jackson Heights Post. Police say there were 'no obvious signs of trauma' and believe he drowned Gomez was in a 2015 documentary called No Your City where he revealed that he was a lawyer and moved to New York in 1975 from Colombia. After being diagnosed with HIV in the 80s, Gomez said he decided to live 'day by day'. 'I like to be free… They ask me, are you homo? Are you gay, are you lesbian? And I say, no, I am human being from another planet,' he said in the documentary. Councilmember Dromm's office is now reaching out to community organizations to plan a vigil for their beloved Ms Colombia.