A Legacy in the Spotlight: Roxanne Collins

Legendary performer Roxanne Collins received her flowers (literally) at the High T.E.A. Sippin’ with Siblings Turnabout and Benefit Brunch on February 15 at Rich’s Houston. Collins was honored for a 30-year career anchored by her uncanny impression of rock legend Tina Turner. The recipient of numerous titles—including Miss Texas Continental (2002) and Miss Gay Pride Houston (2019–2020)—her crowning glory remains the “Totally Tina” lookalike contest hosted by Hanes in 1997, in which she triumphed over 199 contestants and got to meet Turner backstage.

“Hearing Tina Turner tell me I was beautiful was the only reassurance I ever needed to validate my beauty,” she told OutSmart in 2021.

In addition to honoring Collins, the Rich’s Houston event also served as a space for transgender and gender non-conforming people of color to express themselves through drag and as a space for meaningful connections with allies within the community.

The event came via the T.R.U.T.H. Project. Kevin Anderson, the group’s founder and CEO, explained, “Our mission is to educate and mobilize queer communities of color and our allies, and we do that through cultural art that promotes our mental health, our emotional and our sexual health. So what that means is we have a lot of programs that are really centered around our wellness as queer folk of color. We have a lot of programs that we’ve been able to develop over the past couple of years that have been really empowering.”

One of those projects is High T.E.A. (Transformative Empowerment and Autonomy of Transgender and Gender Non-conforming Folx). “The space is simply created to build siblinghood among TG and C folks of color and our allies and to really look at building autonomy for us as a people and coming together,” Anderson continued. “This is a fundraiser. And because it’s a fundraiser, everyone that’s involved is giving back to the organization. But not just the organization; specifically to this program. So the monies that are raised are going to go back to High T.E.A.”

Houston drag queen Blackberri, as host of the event, echoed that message, as she addressed the gathering: “I know a lot of y’all just got your tax returns back; if not, they are on the way! So I need y’all to dig deep into your purses. That’s one less Hot n’ Spicy from McDonald’s y’all get this week. We’re going to put [the money] to a good use.”

Porsche Paris, the first entertainer of the evening, ruled the stage with a routine set to Megan Thee Stallion’s “B.I.T.C.H.” Sporting red-feathered hair and a sheer black bodysuit with colorful embellishments, she posed a dramatic contrast to the regal all-white gown and Anita Baker medley she gave at last year’s Studio 13 Reunion. Paris evoked Meg’s raw, tough-talking style with ease before transitioning into Amerie’s “Take Control.”

Next came Ameritus Jackson Ross. A 1920s jazz standard might seem an unusual choice for a drag routine, but Ross went there, wowing the crowd with a high-flying version of “Bye Bye Blackbird,” which she turned into a stunning showcase. Patrons lined up to tip Ross as she thrilled them with a daring, dynamic routine.

Then, her “drag baby” A’Mya Jackson Ross took the stage with a saucy, suggestive performance set to a remix of Anita Ward’s 1979 hit “Ring My Bell.” In a sparkly blue minidress, she glowed with a mass of big blonde-brown curls that bounced like crazy as she spun across the floor. She, too, attracted attention—and tips.

Later, the mood turned serious, as speaker Crimson Jordan highlighted Dr. Charles Law (1951–1993), a Houstonian activist who served as TSU’s University Archivist starting in 1977, where he compiled data for TSU’s contribution to the 1983 HBCU Fact Book under Reagan’s Department of Health and Human Services. Law was a prominent organizer of Houston’s Black gay community, and Jordan used Law’s example to drive home an important message.

“I know y’all noticed a lot’s been going on lately … with the current death of democracy and the eradication and revocation of our rights as queer individuals and as trans individuals here in America. Other people won’t be affected by this, but we have resources that are now disappearing. Research findings are now going away. Very, very important research is being stopped and halted altogether. Everything from passports to prison asylums are being affected by this current administration,” he said. “We’ve lost so much in the last two months and we can expect to lose a lot more. And I don’t say this to instill any kind of spirit of fear. I say this to instill a spirit of courage in each and every one of us, because I understand, because I work at a school. I work around a lot of very straight, heteronormative people every day who don’t want to talk about these issues. And my call to action, for each and every one of you today, is: Don’t be silent. That is what people are expecting you to do.”

As a transgender man working in a heteronormative space, Jordan urged the audience to advocate for themselves and the LGBTQ community, even when it’s uncomfortable. “A lot of us decide to bite our tongues [because] it’s too much, too taboo, too controversial.” But, he said, it’s important to speak out.   

“We’re not going away anytime soon. We’re not going away at all,” he continued, “and it’s important that we know that.” He added that “we all have our own personal responsibility to protect and care for each other. The reason why the community is the way it is today is because we showed up for each other, from the get-go. And so, in that same vein, we must continue that.”

“With all the things that we’re losing, I know it can feel overwhelming,” Jordan concluded. He understood the urge “to not wanna look at the news and not be informed about what’s going on, not to be informed about what we’re losing. But I really want y’all to pay attention, be aware. Keep an eye out. Take your breaks, of course, but just stay informed. They are relying on our ignorance. So as things continue and move forward, please continue to look up, see what’s going on, look around, and continue to protect each other and take care of each other and be there for each other.”

“The one thing they can’t take away from you is your voice,” Blackberri reminded the audience, “so please use your voice as much as possible. It don’t cost nothing to use your voice.”

Later, A’Mya Jackson Ross and Nikki Fierce Jackson Ross teamed up for a steamy medley of En Vogue’s “Something He Can Feel” and “Never Gonna Get It.” Then came a cypher for Pink Elephant Radio. The longest-running LGBTQ hip-hop collective, Pink Elephant Radio is a platform founded in 2016 to celebrate and amplify queer voices in hip-hop.

Rapper, singer, and songwriter Japan the Creator lauded Collins onstage. “Roxanne taught me several things,” he said. “Roxanne was also one of the first people that would put us onstage as gay rappers.” Having met her 16 years ago at a club called EJ’s, Japan the Creator saw her as regal: “I grew up watching Dynasty, and Roxanne, to me, was Dominique Devereaux,” he said. “She was Alexis Carrington. She was just all of those girls.”

As tribute to Collins, he introduced rapper Breeze, who performed her new “Loving You,” a propulsive half-sung, half-rapped love song. Next came rapper Moe Lotti, whose ribald, raunchy performance evoked the hypersexual, hard-edged rhymes of Lil’ Kim and Megan Thee Stallion. “Moe Lotti the Body/The life of the party/No man can deny me, ‘cause mama’s a hottie,” she began, her curves barely contained by a gray keyhole minidress. “I’m a whole damn mood/So nasty and so damn rude,” she rapped, proving her point with unprintable lyrics that she delivered with verve.

Later, Josie Pickens, a community organizer and qualitative researcher, pointed out a QR code link to a survey for queer male (and non-binary) POC. She also spoke on the importance of the group. “A lot of times you see folks receiving funding for things in [the] community, saying they’re doing things in community, but not actually doing the work. One of the reasons I love working with the T.R.U.T.H Project is because I know Kevin and the team are really committed to doing the work,” she said, to applause. “So yes, we have events like this that are a good time, but there’s also a lot of work that goes into the mental, emotional, and sexual health of queer folks in this community.”

“The reason that these surveys are so important is because not only does it tell us what we need to know about the needs of the community, but it also is how we receive funding. And now in this political climate, when they are trying to dispose of us—let’s be honest about what it is—we need the most resources that we can get our hands on,” Pickens said.

After the PSA, it was time to honor the woman of the hour. Four of the queens retook the stage for a tribute to Collins: Porsche Paris performed Whitney Houston’s “You Give Good Love,” followed by A’Mya Jackson Ross with Chante Moore’s “My Special Perfect One.” Olivia Delye grooved through Rufus & Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing” before Whitney Winters whipped up the waterworks with Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” Finally, Roxanne Collins herself emerged—dressed as the legendary Tina—for “Simply the Best.”

Later, after receiving her bouquet of yellow roses, Collins was presented with a special plaque. Anderson read: “[For] your ability to inspire others through your artistry, your aura, and your walk of life, the T.R.U.T.H. Project honors you with the High TEA 2025 TGNC Impact Award.”

“I’m speechless,” Collins said. “I’m very overwhelmed because I had no idea,” she said breathlessly. “But WOW.”

“I love these spaces where people of color—Black people—can come together and share our stories and to be there for each other, to lift each other up and to do things and to get us to where we need to be,” she continued. “I love you, I support you. I support you, Rich; I support everything y’all do. I’m always there for you. This means more to me than you’ll ever know: to be seen. Not just to be seen in my community, but to be seen by my people. And I do mean my people,” she said. “So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

The Telling Real Unapologetic Truth Through Healing (T.R.U.T.H.) Project, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and mobilize LGBTQ communities of color and their allies through social arts that promote mental, emotional, and sexual health. To learn more, or to donate, click here.