Rico Rodriguez

Rico Rodriguez is a storyteller, writer, drag performer, percussionist, teacher, and union executive officer whose work spans more than 40 years. He tells folktales, fables, legends, and original stories rooted in Latinx traditions and LGBTQ+ experiences, performing in English, Spanish, and Spanglish. His storytelling blends humour, emotion, and social justice, inviting audiences to reflect, connect, and imagine change.

A founding member of Queers in Your Ears, now in its 29th year, Rico has performed in schools, libraries, theatres, festivals, and community spaces across Canada and the United States. His work has been featured on CBC and National Public Radio, and he has presented at national storytelling and social justice conferences.

Rico has led storytelling workshops for educators, youth, and community organizations and served as Storyteller-in-Residence for Planned Parenthood’s T.E.A.C.H. program, mentoring LGBTQ+ youth. He edited Hear Me Out (Second Story Press, 2014), an anthology of stories by peer educators, and contributed “The Best of Both Worlds” to The Healing Heart (New Society Publishers).

His arts council–funded productions include LatinQueermerican and T-Shirt Tales, and he coordinated Escondidos No More!, a multimedia celebration of Toronto’s Latinx LGBTQ+ history. A recipient of the Alice Kane Prize, Rico continues to create performances and workshops that explore identity, belonging, resilience, and the enduring power of story to bridge cultures, generations, and communities. Through every performance, he reminds audiences that sharing our stories can transform both ourselves and the world around us.