Drag legend Laganja Estranja: ‘I didn’t want to accept that I was trans’ (EXCLUSIVE)
"I always said, ‘I’ll wait until my parents die. I can’t put them through this," the star of new show Drag House Rules told Attitude
By Dale Fox
Drag icon Laganja Estranja has spoken about her journey as a transgender woman, revealing in an exclusive interview with Attitude how fear held her back from coming out.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race star appears in Drag House Rules, a new reality competition which premiered on OUflix on 21 February. The show, which features Jujubee, Manila Luzon, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Rock M Sakura, Biqtch Puddin’ and Tammie Brown, combines scripted drama with reality TV elements.
Speaking about her transition, Laganja recalled: “I didn’t want to accept that I was trans. I was already such a queer, effeminate man who did drag… I kept my life very separate. I did my drag, and when the gig was over, I would get out of the clothes, out of the make-up, keep my beard, and really try to assimilate to society as a gay male.”
She said the pandemic gave her time to reflect, explaining: “For so long, I always said, ‘I’ll wait until my parents die. I can’t put them through this.’ But something changed, and I realised I wanted my parents to know me. I wanted them to see the brave, bold, beautiful child they had raised, who happens to be transgender.”
Kylie Sonique Love ‘gave me the advice just to take it step by step’
Laganja credits fellow Drag Race legend Kylie Sonique Love as an early influence. “When we first met on the Mickey’s patio in West Hollywood, I came up to her and said, ‘I think I’m trans. What do I do?’ She gave me the advice just to take it step by step and to take it slow.”
Last year, Laganja underwent gender-affirming surgery, including breast augmentation and liposuction, calling it “the greatest gift I’ve ever given myself.”
On the pressures trans women face in the entertainment industry, she explained: “I think a lot of times, as trans women, we’re pushed to get a bunch of surgeries and do a big physical transformation. But really, for me, my transition has been much more emotional and much more internal.”
‘It’s an iconic cast’ – Laganja on Drag House Rules
Talking about her appearance in Drag House Rules, Laganja said: “People should watch because there’s never been a series like it. We’ve never seen anything that is like a competition show but actually scripted, driven by a plot line and a creative story. It’s very unhinged.”
She added: “It’s an iconic cast. I mean, you’ve got people from Dragula, you’ve got people from all different seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race. You’ve got some amazing guest features as well.”
The first episode of Drag House Rules is available to stream now on OUTflix.