Bold & Beautiful: Ms. Jaliah J.

Growing up in a religious household in Mississippi, Ms. Jaliah J. did not encounter the drag world until the summer of 2021. After serving an LDS mission in Boise, Idaho, Jaliah was introduced to a few friends from Salt Lake City. Soon after, she moved to Utah and attended Utah Valley University. Living in Provo, Utah, for the past five years, Jaliah has been able to center her life around the things and people who matter to her most. 

“I was still working through a lot of internalized homophobia,” Jaliah says, discovering the world of drag shortly after coming out to family and friends. “Watching drag, seeing people be so confident and happy with themselves made me want to try it out,” she says. Having lived in the performing world for eight months, she has found extraordinary things within her character and the drag world itself. “It was a way for me to get over the hatred I felt towards myself,” Jaliah says. “I was able to express the things that I was ashamed of, such as being super feminine.”

“The local drag scene is amazing. I never thought Utah would have such a big drag scene.”

Jaliah is still in the process of developing her drag persona. “I like to balance masculinity and femininity,” Jaliah says. “Everything is full-on woman, but then you see this beard. I like the juxtaposition.” Going complete diva, she loves to cover her beard with sparkles and glitter, hoping to stand out to the crowd. As a Black person in Utah, Jaliah also feels she stands out more compared to when living in Mississippi. “Jaliah is fierce, more of a diva. She really embraces her Blackness,” she says. Drag has become a space for Jaliah to fully and freely explore her Black identity alongside her queer identity.

From show to show, she has been able to experiment with her performance and the kind of character she will be sharing. “Here in Provo, there is a small drag group and the shows are pretty lowkey,” Jaliah says. “It’s a great opportunity to experience different looks.” She performs every other Friday in Provo, hoping to expand her performances and take every opportunity she can get. Being a junior resident at Why KiKi bar in Salt Lake has helped her grow to this point, and now Jaliah is open for anything coming her way.

Rather than having one specific muse to inspire her, Jaliah admires and observes other aspects of queens in the area as well as beyond Salt Lake. “The local drag scene is amazing. I never thought Utah would have such a big drag scene,” she says. “There are new performers popping up almost every week!” Jaliah has been able to meet other performers and connect with them and create relationships beyond just performing. Many of these friendships for Jaliah have helped her to step out of her comfort zone and express who she is as both a performer, and as an LGBTQ+ person. 

“It was a way for me to get over the hatred I felt towards myself. I was able to express the things that I was ashamed of, such as being super feminine.”

While still in the early stages of her career, Jaliah hopes to get her name out there and fully realize herself in and out of drag. She feels this process has helped her to establish a healthy, loving and confident relationship with herself and her image.

Jaliah would have never predicted this for herself. Performing drag has changed her life. Moving toward the goal of becoming a full-time drag queen, Jaliah is excited to see where this journey takes her. With shows every weekend, she is working towards making a name for herself within the performing world. Remember the name and keep Ms. Jaliah J. on your radar. 

Find Ms. Jaliah J. on Instagram @ms.jaliahj. 

Read more profiles from SLUG‘s Bold & Beautiful features:
Bold & Beautiful: Mari Cona
Bold & Beautiful: Hoe Shi Minh