Laganja Estranja

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Laganja Estranja has come out as trans

Laganja has come out as trans in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly


Laganja Estranja, the memorable queen who competed in season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race, has come out as transgender.

Speaking exclusively to EW in an interview feature, 32-year-old Laganja (real name Jay Jackson) has spoken about finally feeling like she had the confidence to live her truth after being inspired by the friends she has around her, as well as representation from celebrities like Elliot Page and Demi Lovato recently coming out as non-binary.

“There are so many amazing women around me who have inspired me to come forward today”, Laganga said. “It’s because of their fight and their struggle that I’m able to really do this and say that I’m nervous, but I’m not scared.

“I’m not going to live my life in fear anymore.”

Laganja spoke about how her career as a drag queen helped her ease into her identity, exploring herself as outside of the binary gender norms before realising she is a woman all of the time, not just on the stage. “I’m able to come off stage and take my makeup off and still see a beautiful woman in the mirror. It’s powerful.”

Laganja Estranja won’t be changing her on stage drag persona name or her birth name from Jay Jackson. She also said she purposely chose to do this during Pride Month – in hope that her living her truth will inspire many feeling like they can’t come out to do the same.

She joins a sisterhood of fellow Drag Race queens who have come out as trans either before, during or after their run on the show, including Peppermint, Kylie Sonique Love, Jiggly Caliente, Carmen Carrera and Laganja’s good friend and season six sister Gia Gunn.

On Gia, Laganja said: “She allowed me to take my time and continued to be supportive…. by physically seeing her change and the fact that she’s been able to live a happy life and have lovers and have boyfriends – all the things trans women, I think, worry about when they came out – gave me hope and encouragement.

Laganja Estranja became a famous name from the Drag Race franchise instantly thanks to her over-the-top personality, memorable “c’mon season six, let’s get SICKENING!” entrance line and explosive arguments and drama in Untucked.

Featured image via @laganjaestranja.

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