Drag queen Kaká Di Polly, pioneer of São Paulo nightlife and key figure for the first edition of the LGBT Pride March, died this Monday (23). The information was confirmed on Instagram by various LGBT community activists, including actress and comedian Nany People. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Considered a symbol of LGBT militancy in São Paulo, Kaká Di Polly was one of the pioneers of São Paulo’s nightlife. Her constant presence at Medieval, the first gay nightclub in São Paulo, even earned her the nickname “Owner of the City” in the 1970s and 1980s.
His talent for drag queen art fueled a good chunk of his career, which he alternated with an education in psychology.
His activism was critical to the success of the first edition of the LGBT Pride March in 1997. On that occasion, Kaká Di Polly pretended to faint to distract police, who wanted to disrupt the parade and allow the parade crowd to pass to continue the parade journey, in the middle of traffic on Avenida Paulista.
In recent years, Kaká Di Polly had his story retold in São Paulo in the book “Rainhas da Noite” by Chico Felitti, published by Companhia das Letras in 2022. She was also known for expressing regret for voting for former President Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 presidential election.
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