Ivanna D. Jackson

By Johnny Trlica

In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the New York Police Department (NYPD) raided a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village. The Stonewall Inn had been raided numerous times, but something was different about this one.

In the 1960s, it was illegal for individuals to wear clothing not associated with their assigned gender at birth, and police frequently used this to raid and harass gay bars, targeting drag queens and trans individuals. Unlike previous routine police raids, the bar’s patrons and the surrounding LGBTQ+ community fought back, sparking days of riots that ignited the modern gay rights movement.

Drag queens have been the heartbeat of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson were key players in events that played out that night, as they would be for the rest of their lives.

Throughout LGBTQ+ history, whenever and wherever a call for help went out, drag queens answered the call. Like last month, when the oldest gay bar in Texas put out a S.O.S. Performers from across the area, including Ivanna, were quick to answer the call and pool their resources.

The Montrose Star Spotlight is shining on Ivanna D. Jackson.

Ivanna D. Jackson

Stage name: Ivanna D. Jackson

Your pronoun is? She/Her

Where is your hometown? Houston, Texas

June is Pride Month! What does Pride mean to you?

Pride, to me, means to stand tall with no fear of adversity, and to live life to the fullest and be resilient.

I saw your show-stopping performance at the benefit for Robert’s Lafitte. Why was it important for you to be there?

It was super important for me to be there because this is the first bar to ever book me when I was first starting, back in 2016.

How long have you been in the entertainment industry and how did you get started?

I started doing drag back in 2015 at a famous club called Meteor, before it got demolished and turned into a parking lot. Every Thursday night they had an amateur drag contest called “So You Think You Can Drag” hosted by the legendary Kofi.

Describe your feelings from the first time you did drag.

Hmmm. I was feeling very nervous but excited and ready to finally hit that stage and kill it. To this day, I still feel the exact same way.

What numbers do you enjoy performing the most? What are your go-to numbers?

The numbers I enjoy performing the most I would say are a Juan Gabriel Medley, Rocio Durcal: Como tu mujer. My go-to numbers and money makers are “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Hudson and a Whitney Houston medley.

What is the thing you enjoy most about being on stage?

The thing I enjoy the most about being on stage is that I’m able to take the audience and myself into this journey from simply relating to the music and storytelling, from beginning to end, of whatever song I may be performing.

Do you have a pet peeve about being on stage?

I have two big pet peeves. One: Do not cross the stage when a performer is performing! LOL. And two: Don’t get too wasted and start interrupting the performer.

Are there any titles you hold or aspire to achieve?

I’m a former Miss Gay Houston USofA at Large 2017, and Miss South Southern All-American Goddess At Large 2018, but I would like to jump back in the ring and be a Miss AAG At Large or Miss Texas USofA at Large.

Tell us something about yourself that people will be surprised to know.

What people don’t know is that I’ve been entertaining since I was a kid, from elementary school showcases to being in a middle school drumline (Golden Knights Drumline), which opened up more opportunities like playing at the Mardi Gras Parade in Galveston, opening for the Houston Dynamos and playing at the halftime show for the Houston Rockets.

Who are your inspirations, personally and professionally? Why?

My inspirations first, I would have to say, are my mother and grandmother. Why? Because these women went through hell raising me. Secondly, my drag mother from Hawaii, Jossylin Cruz, drag grandmother Lawanda Jackson, Alexis Nicole Whitney, Zinnya Whitney Ross (R.I.P.) and K’hem Trailz.

Your gowns are gorgeous! Do you make your own outfits, buy them or does someone make them for you?

Thank you! Most outfits I make myself, but I also buy outfits to see how they are made and then remake it. In one I wore at Lafitte’s, I made the gown shell and designed the flowers placement. My younger sister made the ribbon flowers.

What do you feel is the most misunderstood thing about drag culture?

That we are out here hurting people or doing this hideous thing that they claim we are. In reality, all we are trying to do is live our own lives in peace.

What are your thoughts on all the anti-trans and anti-drag show rhetoric coming from politicians?

It’s all stupid, if you ask me — trying to use us as a cover-up for all the idiotic things going on in this country because of our president.

How has performing in drag changed you?

Performing in drag has changed me in ways people don’t realize. Because of drag, I found myself and my inner beauty, and to live my life as myself and as a proud trans woman.

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Winning Talent (category), with a perfect score from Craig Henderson the night I was crowned Miss Gay Houston USofA at Large. I had gone up against two seasoned queens and I knew, for sure, I wasn’t winning.

What advice would you offer to a young queen just getting started?

“If you’re starting off in this business, come in with open hearts, open eyes and closed mouth.” — Kourtney Van Wales

Where can we find you on social media?

On Facebook, Ivy Gonzalez. On Instagram, Ivanna_D_Jackson.

Where and when can we catch your act?

You can catch me in Galveston at the oldest gay bar in Texas, Robert’s Lafitte, every single Sunday for our Sunday Night Show Down with Wilhelmina Guess and myself as your host for the night, and Tiffany de la Vega as show director.

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