Jay Evan Jackson, known professionally as Laganja Estranja (born December 28, 1988) is an American choreographer and
drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
based in Los Angeles. Laganja competed on the
sixth season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
'', finishing in eighth place. She came out as
transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...
in 2021.
Early life
Jackson was born to Nancy Lynn Ferrin Jackson and David Michael Jackson
[, was raised in ]Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, and attended the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Both of her parents worked as high school guidance counselors for over 30 years. She obtained a BFA in dance from the California Institute of the Arts.
Career
Drag
Laganja Estranja's drag debut was at Micky's West Hollywood on November 7, 2011. After winning the Amateur Competition, Laganja became an official "Showgirl" with a monthly gig at Micky's. Laganja went on to win "Queen of Queens" at 340 Nightclub in Pomona, CA and "Best Newcomer" in West Hollywood.
In April 2013, Laganja Estranja auditioned for ''RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
''. She was accepted in the show, and filmed in the summer of 2013. In 2014, the sixth season of drag-oriented reality competition ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' aired on LogoTV
Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progr ...
. Laganja performed moderately well on the show, winning a challenge when she was partnered with the eventual runner-up, Adore Delano
Daniel Anthony Noriega, (born September 29, 1989) better known under the stage name Adore Delano, is an American drag queen, singer-songwriter, and television personality. Noriega appeared as a contestant on the seventh season of ''American Ido ...
. Laganja was eliminated in the eighth episode of the season, placing her in a small category of contestants in the show's history who were eliminated the week after winning a challenge. At the outset of the show, Laganja received quite a lot of attention on social media for her entrance. During the show, Laganja became infamous for her over-the-top dramatics, catchphrases, and emotional breakdowns. Eventual winner Bianca Del Rio
Roy R. Haylock (born June 27, 1975), better known by the stage name Bianca Del Rio, is an American drag queen, comedian, actor, and costume designer. She is known for winning the sixth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Since her time on ''Drag R ...
credited Laganja as the root of every memorable quote from the following season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Laganja's mannerisms have since been parodied by fellow drag queens, including Alaska Thunderfuck
Justin Andrew Honard (born March 6, 1985) is an American drag queen and recording artist known by the stage name Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, primarily known mononymously as Alaska, from Erie, Pennsylvania. She is best known as the runner-up on th ...
.
Laganja Estranja is the drag daughter of Alyssa Edwards
Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson (born January 16, 1980), best known by the stage name Alyssa Edwards, is an American drag performer, choreographer, and businessperson. Edwards was known for competing in drag pageantry (notably Miss Gay America 2010) b ...
, and the drag sister of Shangela
Chantize Darius Jeremy Pierce, better known as Shangela Laquifa Wadley or mononymously as Shangela (born November 22, 1980), is an American drag queen, reality television personality and actor best known for competing on ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. S ...
and Plastique Tiara —all of whom competed on ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', Edwards appearing on season 5 and season 2 of '' RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars'', Shangela appearing on season 2 Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* '' 2econd Season''
See also
*
{{disambig ...
and 3 and ''All Stars'' season 3, and Tiara on season 11. Under the moniker of the Haus of Edwards, they have internationally toured and performed together on multiple occasions, most notably at the pre-show warm-up for the finale episode of the seventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Laganja currently hosts her own web show on the drag-centric platform World of Wonder, the same production company behind RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
, RuPaul's DragCon LA, and RuPaul's DragCon NYC
RuPaul's DragCon NYC is an annual fan convention and expo of drag culture held in New York City, which debuted in September 2017. It is based on the successful RuPaul's DragCon LA which was launched in Los Angeles in 2015 billed as a “conven ...
.
Laganja appeared as a Lip-Sync Assassin in the third episode of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 6, winning the lip-sync against fellow season 6 contestant, Trinity K. Bonet
Joshua Jamal Jones (born January 31, 1991), better known by the stage name Trinity Kardashian Bonet, is an American drag queen, performer, Impersonator, celebrity impersonator, actor and singer who came to international attention on the RuPaul's D ...
.
She was a featured performer during Jennifer Lopez's performance at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards
The 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 22, 2022, and was broadcast live on Fox from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT. The ceremony was returned to its traditional March schedule after the last two e ...
.
Music
In 2014, Laganja contributed vocals to a cover of RuPaul's " Jealous of My Boogie", for the album '' RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz''. Throughout 2014, Laganja was featured on three singles, contributing a rap verse to each song. In 2015, she released her debut single as a lead artist, titled "Legs", which featured American rapper Rye Rye
Ryeisha Berrain (born November 25, 1990), known by her stage name Rye Rye, is an American rapper, singer, dancer and actress. Signed to N.E.E.T. Recordings, she released her first mixtape RYEot PowRR in 2011 and her anticipated debut album ''Go! P ...
. In June 2015, "Legs" was rated as the third best song by a ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' contestant by Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
. In June 2015, Laganja was featured on fellow ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' star, Alaska Thunderfuck
Justin Andrew Honard (born March 6, 1985) is an American drag queen and recording artist known by the stage name Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, primarily known mononymously as Alaska, from Erie, Pennsylvania. She is best known as the runner-up on th ...
's debut album, '' Anus'', on the track "Gimme All Your Money".
In 2016, she released both her third single "Tease 4U" and a Christmas Album with the Haus of Edwards. Her single on the album is entitled "Green XXXmas," and the video featured exotic dancer Candace Cane. In September 2018, she released her fourth single "Look At Me" featuring J. Tyler, and an accompanying video. The video took a stance against arrests for marijuana possession. In November 2018, she released a lyric video for her fifth single "Smoke Break".
Cannabis advocacy
As a cannabis rights activist, Laganja has hosted conversations on cannabis legalization at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and at Impulse in San Francisco. She has also been featured twice in ''High Times Magazine'' as well as on the cover of ''Dope Magazine'', making her the first LGBTQ+ advocate on the cover of a cannabis magazine. In 2014, Laganja launched a collection of marijuana-themed merchandise including a jewelry line named Laganja Estranja Is My Enemy. Laganja has also collaborated with Blunted Objects on a marijuana-themed statement necklace.
In September 2018, Laganja was interviewed by Civilized Magazine about her music video for ''Look at Me'' that “slammed” the war on drugs. The interview by Civilized — a magazine reported to be for the millions of adults who choose to enjoy cannabis recreationally — covered a number of aspects behind the imagery of Laganja's music video. Leafly, the world's largest cannabis information site, featured Laganja on its in-house podcast in January 2019. The podcast, ''The Hash'', explored, alongside Laganja, topics like homophobia in the cannabis industry and what it's like to often be the only queer person in a room.
The Laganja Estranja lifestyle brand includes a collaboration preroll joint with San Francisco's The Hepburns, called "LAhepburns." Laganja also partnered with FRUIT SLABS, a company making cannabis infused, vegan, real-fruit squares for their 2019 PRIDE collection. Laganja worked with FRUIT SLABS to create a one-of-a-kind flavor to be offered for a limited time.
Dance
Graduating from The California Institute of the Arts in 2011 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in dance and choreography, Laganja is a skilled choreographer, teacher, and dancer. A Presidential Scholar in The Arts, Laganja performed her original work “not today” at the Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
in 2007. Laganja is also a YoungArts Silver Winner and returns every year to the program to mentor high school students in Miami, Florida. Laganja's choreography credits include ''Germany's Next Top Model'', '' NYC Cosmetics FACE Awards'', and for commercial artists such as Miley Cyrus and Brooke Candy.
In mid-2017, Laganja led a dance theatre project on gender expression with artists across Europe assembling in Nottingham, UK for a four-day workshop and showcase exploring the boundaries of gender identity. “G NDR” was in collaboration with Backlit Gallery, Kitty Tray, and Nottingham Contemporary. In the fall of 2018, Laganja elaborated on this idea of gender expression with her dance residency at YoungArts. The immersive experience included live vocals, original compositions, and curated set design. In late-2018, Laganja was partnered with the Pérez Art Museum Miami
The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)—officially known as the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County—is a contemporary art museum that relocated in 2013 to the Museum Park in Downtown Miami, Florida. Founded in 1984 as the Center for t ...
(Pamm) to present the art of drag for a one-day Poplife Social YoungArts Takeover. The event at the world-renowned art museum included an invitation from Laganja herself, “Onto Pamm’s terrace to warm up their dance muscles, ‘sissy that walk’ across the space and participate in a fan dance inspired by traditional Japanese performance.”
In 2016, Laganja's Dance School, an international high-heels masterclass and confidence workshop, was founded with partner Kristen Lovell. The master class has been held in dozens of cities in the United States and as an international experience, has traveled to Manchester, Nottingham, London, Newcastle, Dublin, Lima, Mexico City, and Amsterdam. Laganja's Dance School is held weekly at The Basement Center of NoHo in North Hollywood, and a beginning Heels Technique class is held at Downtown Dance and Movement in Downtown Los Angeles. In 2019, the documentary ''Laganja's Dance School'' was released. The documentary was directed by Selene Kapsaski and chronicles Laganja Estranja teaching a dance class in London.
Personal life
Laganja spoke out against Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
while the latter was running for president of the United States, and is committed to continuing to use her platform for social change. In 2021, she came out as a transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...
woman.
Discography
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Guest appearances
Filmography
Film
Television
Music videos
Music video appearances
Web series
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1988 births
Living people
21st-century American dancers
21st-century American singers
American cannabis activists
American dancers
American drag queens
American LGBT singers
American rappers
California Institute of the Arts alumni
Dancers from Texas
LGBT dancers
LGBT people from Texas
People from Dallas
Rappers from Texas
RuPaul's Drag Race contestants
Television personalities from Texas
Transgender drag performers
Transgender women