Manila Luzon

Manila Luzon
Manila Luzon performing in May 2014
Born	Karl Philip Michael Westerberg (1981-08-10) August 10, 1981 Cottage Grove, Minnesota, U.S.
Residence	Los Angeles, California U.S.
Occupation	Drag queen Reality television personality Graphic designer comedian
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Partner(s)	Antoine Ashley (2006–2012; Ashley's death)
Website	www.manilaluzon.com
Musical career
Genres	Pop
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2011–present
Comedy career
Genres	Blue comedy, observational comedy,
Subject(s)	LGBT culture, Philippine culture, fashion
Influences	Imelda Marcos, RuPaul

Manila Luzon (born Karl Philip Michael Westerberg; August 10, 1981^[1]) is an American drag queen and reality television personality, a native of Minnesota who now resides in Los Angeles. She is best known as the runner-up of the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race.^[2] Her name is a play on words of the capital city (Manila) and the largest island (Luzon) of the Philippines, where her mother was born.^[3] Her father is an American of German and Swedish ancestry.^[4]

RuPaul's Drag Race

With a high sense of camp humor, Manila received high marks from the judges throughout the third season of competition. Highlights of the season included his win for a controversial impersonation of a Chinese reporter and forming the "Heathers" clique (the group taking its name from the popular cult film, Heathers) with fellow contestants Raja, Carmen Carrera, and Delta Work. He also won an emotionally charged lip sync against contestant Delta Work. Other memorable challenge wins included making over a heterosexual jock into her drag sister and making a couture dress out of paper money.

Career after RuPaul's Drag Race

The publicity generated by her participation on the show brought many new opportunities to perform at various national and international LGBT events throughout the U.S. and Canada including New York Pride and Vancouver Pride. She has been active in AIDS awareness and activism. After being featured in a Gilead Sciences ad titled "Red Ribbon Runway" with fellow Drag Race co-stars Carmen Carrera, Delta Work, Shangela Laquifa Wadley and Alexis Mateo,^[5] the dress she was featured wearing was auctioned off by Logo in commemoration of World AIDS Day. Proceeds from the auction were donated to the National Association of People with AIDS.^[6]

In 2011, Luzon, along with third season Drag Race contestants Carmen Carrera and Shangela Laquifa Wadley, appeared in a television commercial for travel-related website Orbitz.^[7] In addition to the commercial, she and Shangela also did an entertainment news segment for US Weekly where they discuss current male celebrities and reimagine them as drag queens.^[8] In August 2012, NiniMomo, a Long Island-based company specializing in poseable fashion dolls, released a doll in Luzon's likeness and wearing the now famous pineapple dress she wore during his time on Drag Race. The doll, which was available via special order, marked the first and only time a Drag Race contestant has been immortalized as a doll.^[9][10] That is until, two years later, a couple of fans of Manila produced their very own 3D-printed Manila Luzon doll.^[11]

RuPaul's Drag U

Manila served as a drag professor on RuPaul's Drag U. Appearing in three episodes, she helped makeover a housewife looking for a makeover in the first episode. In her second appearance, she made over a lesbian contestant, while in her third stint as a drag professor, she helped makeover her sister Rachel.

RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race

Manila performing "D.J. Girl" by Katalina in May 2014.

On 6 August 2012, it was announced that Manila was one of twelve past Drag Race contestants selected to join the cast of RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race that premiered on the Logo network on October 22, 2012.^[12] Paired with contestant Latrice Royale to form Team Latrila, the duo was eliminated in the third episode of the series that aired on November 5, 2012. Prior to the airing of the series finale, Manila (along with All Stars contestants Raven, Latrice Royale, and Tammie Brown) appeared in a television commercial for travel website Orbitz's new portal for LGBT leisure travel.^[13]

MTV's Made

On 12 October 2012, Manila appeared on an episode of the MTV series Made where she mentored a young man in the art of drag, allowing him to explore his drag alter-ego as he prepared for New York City's Gay Pride Parade.^[14]

Music

On November 8, 2011, Manila released her first single, "Hot Couture". Her sophomore single, "Best XXXcessory," was released on 21 August 2012. Her third single, "The Chop," a duet between Manila and Latrice Royale was released on November 6, 2012, a day after the episode that featured their elimination from RuPaul's All-Stars Drag Race aired. Along with other RuPaul's Drag Race contestants, Manila appeared in the music video "Queen" by Mimi Imfurst's band Xelle.^[15] On September 30, 2014, she released her new single "Eternal Queen" to her YouTube account, which is dedicated to her deceased partner, Sahara Davenport.^[16] The video received over 30,000 views in just under a week.^[17]

Personal life

A longtime resident of New York City, Manila resided in Harlem with his boyfriend Antoine Ashley (Sahara Davenport), who was a contestant on the second season of Drag Race. Antoine died of heart failure at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on October 1, 2012.^[18]

As of 2013, Luzon resides in Los Angeles, California.^[19]

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

References

External links

• Official website
• Manila Luzon discography at Discogs