GRECOURT GATE (SMITH COLLEGE) -- A Los Angeles-based writer and performer, Palacios has been recognized as an LGBTQ Latinx trailblazer. Her award-winning solo shows, plays, screenplays, short stories and poems center around her identity as a Chicana lesbian. In 2012, the city of Los Angeles declared Monica Palacios Day in honor of her groundbreaking artistic work.
“When I was a teenager in the 1970s, I used to watch all of these guys on TV and imitate them. I would use my mom’s tortilla rolling pin as a microphone. In high school, I did a standup routine in my English class, and when I got to college at San Francisco State, I started hanging out in comedy clubs, taking notes. On my 23rd birthday, I dared myself to get onstage — and I was successful!
“I didn’t do any queer comedy at first. But then I found out about Valencia Rose Cabaret in San Francisco, the first gay comedy club. I talked myself into doing a show there. Onstage, I was able to be my authentic self, and it was a big love fest. My solo career has been all about representing my community.”