Michelle Ross: Unknown Icon - Documentary Clip
Dublin Core
Title
Michelle Ross: Unknown Icon - Documentary Clip
Description
Link to the full documentary: https://youtu.be/zy8li7rdPSE
In a documentary created as a tribute to Toronto drag queen Michelle Ross after her unfortunate passing, her friends and family detail the importance she had not only for drag, but for the entire Black queer community of Toronto. Despite deeming itself as “inclusive”, the Gay Village was still littered with racism all throughout the 70s. Many Black queer people avoided heavily crowded clubs for these reasons, making the primary Black demographic in those spaces be entertainers of higher status such as Michelle. Her simply putting on performances served as a beacon of representation for other Black gay men to start frequenting those spaces. When she would notice a Black audience member at one of her shows, Michelle Ross was known to pay special attention to them, praising them for their strength to come out and enjoy themselves, regardless of the hatred.
In a documentary created as a tribute to Toronto drag queen Michelle Ross after her unfortunate passing, her friends and family detail the importance she had not only for drag, but for the entire Black queer community of Toronto. Despite deeming itself as “inclusive”, the Gay Village was still littered with racism all throughout the 70s. Many Black queer people avoided heavily crowded clubs for these reasons, making the primary Black demographic in those spaces be entertainers of higher status such as Michelle. Her simply putting on performances served as a beacon of representation for other Black gay men to start frequenting those spaces. When she would notice a Black audience member at one of her shows, Michelle Ross was known to pay special attention to them, praising them for their strength to come out and enjoy themselves, regardless of the hatred.
Creator
Alison Duke
Source
Duke, Alison, dir. <em>Michelle Ross: Unknown Icon</em>. 2025. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. YouTube, https://youtu.be/zy8li7rdPSE?si=SA4oXPyOcwHEQrsz
Publisher
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Date
2025
Rights
YouTube
Type
Documentary
Files
Citation
Alison Duke, “Michelle Ross: Unknown Icon - Documentary Clip,” Black Canadian History Exhibit, accessed January 19, 2026, http://omeka.uottawa.ca/mathieu-black-canadian-history-exhibit/items/show/560.