By Josh Watkins
Self-described “part-time rockstar” Stoo Gogo stands at the intersection of gender, identity, and femininity. A queer, Black, femme man, Gogo explores the depths of his identities through musical creation as one half of the queer pop duo, BLING ST., as well as a solo musician. “By day, I’m a barista,” Gogo explains. “By night, I’m like this mad scientist that makes music. I take on this [superhero] form when I’m performing or singing or writing.”
Gogo’s identity journey began the summer before his final semester of college at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Feeling as though he was at a crossroads and no longer feeling a sense of self, he made it his mission to create his own identity, one that fit his truth. “Some people are afraid to do that,” Gogo says. “But I was like: I’m just gonna try this out. Ever since then, I’ve just been on this path to defining who I am to me.”
From that point on, Gogo decided, “I want to go by Stoo, and no one can erase me.” He first tried out the “new him” at a theatre audition on campus. But when the professor didn’t recognize the name on the call sheet, she asked for it to be erased. “Most of the time, I [would have] given up on this. But I told myself no, no one can erase you. So I told my professor [my plan], and it opened her eyes to queer and femme identities. The [theatre] department actually started asking what name and pronouns students would like to go by after that. It lit a fire for people to be a little more open-minded.”
For Gogo, being femme is a symbol of strength. Although femininity has traditionally been associated with weakness, Gogo says all of his role models have been strong women. “My mom, my grandma, they’ve always been the strongest personalities I’ve ever known. I saw [femininity] as this superhuman power that most people are afraid to access. So, for me, femininity is a superpower.”
When Gogo first began his journey with gender expression, however, he felt immense pressure to adhere to certain standards of traditional femininity. Over time, he’s come to realize that femme identity can be multi-faceted. “I think everyone has some feminine quality to them,” Gogo says. “With me, it usually comes out through performance. I used to combat it when I was younger, but now I try to love the layers of my femininity as much as possible. I can’t push my truth away.”
Gogo expresses that, although he’s always worn women’s clothing and wigs, it wasn’t until he did some thorough research on the gender spectrum that he was able to define his own personal femme identity. “Just last month I was focusing on grounding myself in my definition,” he shares. “Right now, I’m at a more solidified place in expression of my gender.”
Gogo’s breakthrough into the music scene can only be described as an act of fate. “I went to this Dita Von Teese show all dressed up—pink wig, crazy coat and shoes, and sparkly pants—expecting everyone to be dressed up, but no one else was dressed up! There was a part of the show where they brought people on stage, you know, to embarrass them. I get up there, and they ask me to sing, and they were shocked that I could really sing! Then we did a dance contest and, of course, I went last. It was very cinematic! I got up there and danced and the whole room was just roaring.”
His impromptu performance led to Gogo being introduced to the booker of Leon’s Lounge, Houston’s oldest bar, who was so impressed that they booked him right away. Today, Gogo says that Leon’s has become his (and BLING ST.’s) home venue.
BLING ST. was formed after Gogo and co-collaborator Luis Cerda met at a singing competition. The two had immediate chemistry, and began performing as a duo shortly thereafter. “I called it ‘accidental magic,’ because we met each other at the Starbucks I worked at, then we saw each other at an audition. And when I got eliminated from the competition, we connected and began writing together,” Gogo says. “We were totally just following our instincts.”
As they approached the completion of their EP, COSTUME, Gogo and Cerda realized they needed a name for their band. The duo ultimately selected BLING ST., per Gogo’s suggestion. “Luis mentioned something about my vocals and the glittering sonics that created an otherworldly, but still human experience on the project,” Gogo explains. “So, the record influenced this concept of ‘magically grounded,’ which started to become an unofficial mission statement for us creatively. And when separating the words ‘bling’ and ‘street,’ you get something sparkly and something raw, which pretty much sums up Luis and I’s balance within our partnership.” The pair continue to make music together and as solo artists.
Gogo says that connecting with the community is an ongoing process, but he’s optimistic about what the future holds. “We would love to perform in more queer spaces and inspire queer people through our music,” he says. “Not many people are aware that we’re a queer band. We’re creating a queer experience through our music.”
Stoo Gogo will be performing at Spectrum South’s “Vie de Femme” celebration, taking place on Thursday, March 29, from 7-10 p.m. at the Sharespace Preston Warehouse. This event is free and open to the public. Voluntary donations will be collected throughout the celebration for the evening’s beneficiary, Save Our Sisters United.
