He claimed the surname Sex was an Americanization of his family's original name Sexton, but in fact it was created for him by Arias and Nomi "during a period of rampant promiscuity".

[2] After early work as a gay stripper, Sex became an alternative performance artist, creating a character based on an exaggerated, cheesy Las Vegas lounge singer and master of ceremonies.

First, along with other SVA graduates and students and Club 57 "Sex developed a persona that simultaneously masked and amplified his polymorphous self, elaborating a mythic yet parody rock-star figure of mercurial presence".

He was able to refine the combination of performance art, drag act, gay go-go dancer, cabaret singer, lounge MC, etc.

Sex's trademark was his long, blond hair which stood straight up, and which he claimed was kept erect by a combination of Dippity-do, Aqua Net, egg whites, beer, and semen.