Ilona Verley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ilona Verley
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Ilona Verley at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2024
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| Born | 1994/1995 (age 29–30) Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
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| Nationality | Canadian |
| Citizenship | Canada, United States |
| Occupation | Drag queen |
| Television | Canada's Drag Race |
Ilona Verley is a talented Canadian-American drag queen. She is best known for being a contestant on the first season of Canada's Drag Race.
Contents
About Ilona Verley
Early Life and Background
Ilona Verley was born to Sandi Verley. She grew up in Lytton, British Columbia and Surrey, British Columbia. Ilona studied make-up artistry at the Blanche MacDonald Centre in Vancouver.
Becoming a Drag Queen
Ilona Verley has appeared in music videos. In 2018, she was in pop singer Mathew V's video for his song "Broken." This happened after Mathew V saw Ilona perform at a drag show. She had performed to his song "Tell Me Smooth."
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Ilona became famous for competing on Canada's Drag Race. This show is a reality competition where drag queens compete. It is based on the popular American show RuPaul's Drag Race. Before joining the Canadian show, Ilona tried out for the American version. She auditioned for seasons eleven and twelve.
Ilona made history on Canada's Drag Race. She was the first contestant who was Indigenous, two-spirit, and openly non-binary. This means she identifies with her Indigenous heritage and a unique gender identity. On the show, Ilona was in the bottom two three times. She was eliminated in the seventh episode.
In the season finale, Ilona wore a special outfit. It was a jingle dress in her favorite pastel colors. A jingle dress is a traditional Indigenous dress. Her look also included red handprints. These handprints are a symbol used to raise awareness for Indigenous women.
Ilona has also worked at a NYX Professional Makeup store. In October 2020, she was a performer at the 2020 imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival. This festival celebrates Indigenous film and media. In November 2020, Out magazine included Ilona on its Out100 list. This list features influential LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) people.
Personal Life and Identity
Ilona Verley is from the Nlaka'pamux people. She identifies as two-spirit, which is an Indigenous term for people who have both masculine and feminine spirits. She has proudly shared that she identifies as an Indigenous trans woman.
Ilona describes her gender identity as fluid. This means her gender identity can change over time. In November 2020, she said she doesn't want to stick to just one label. She explained that her feelings about her identity might change in the future. On the LGBTQ&A podcast, she said that for now, she identifies as nonbinary and gender fluid.
As of October 2020, Ilona lives in Vancouver. She moved back to Canada after living in Los Angeles. In 2020, she had a disagreement with NYX Professional Makeup.
Appearances
Television Shows
- Canada's Drag Race (season 1)
Web Series
- Bring Back My Girls (2022)
