1. Ongina was one of the first reality TV stars to come out as HIV-positive.
18 Facts About Ongina
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Ongina started performing in drag in 2003 at an Asian restaurant called Lucky Cheng's, where he worked alongside Laverne Cox.
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Ongina was selected as one of nine contestants for the inaugural season of RuPaul's Drag Race and was officially announced on February 2,2009.
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Ongina revealed her HIV status in the fourth episode, where she won her second challenge.
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Ongina was eliminated in the next episode after losing a lip sync to "Stronger", by Britney Spears, against eventual winner BeBe Zahara Benet, placing her in fifth.
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Ongina made five appearances in the first and second seasons of RuPaul's Drag U In November 2017, Ongina was a featured performer in Queens United, a benefit show created by Jaremi Carey in an effort to raise money to people affected by Hurricane Maria.
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Ongina appeared as a guest for the first challenge in the premiere of season 11 of Drag Race.
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Ongina was in the 2009 music video for "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas.
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Ongina appeared in three episodes of the WOW Presents web series Fashion Photo RuView with Mayhem Miller, filling in for Raja and Raven in September and October 2018.
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Ongina was a backup dancer for Nico Tortorella on an episode of Lip Sync Battle in 2019.
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On May 8,2020, Ongina was announced as one of the ten queens competing on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.
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Ongina was the second queen eliminated from the show, ultimately placing 9th.
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In November 2020, Ongina hosted "Constellations of Change", a live-streamed cabaret show produced by ViiV Healthcare as a part of its annual Community Summit.
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Ongina hosted the 2021 Los Angeles AIDS Walk, and was featured in an accompanied televised special, Localish LA AIDS Walk Special.
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In July 2022, Ongina headlined the 10th year of Hagerstown Hopes and Hagerstown Pride festival.
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Since coming out as HIV-positive, Ongina has become an HIV activist.
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Ongina was a spokesperson for OraQuick, one of the first at-home HIV testing kits, in 2013.
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Ongina won the NewNowNext Award for Most Addictive Reality Star in 2009.