Bold & Beautiful: Nancy Raygun

Salt Lake’s drag scene has been thriving and surviving through many tumultuous years and iterations of a “War-on-Drag.” Political and social counter-energies have pressed against drag arts in recent policy, yet the glamor and professionalism of the local scene seems to be skyrocketing. There’s an abundant selection of community events for anyone wanting a dash of flash in their day is. Standing out in the scene can be tricky, yet Nancy Raygun has accomplished that in spades, not merely for their cheeky and rather topical moniker (and no, sorry folks—it wasn’t chosen because Reagan was rumored to be the “Throat Goat” of the White House).

“I was gay and lonely as a teenager,” says Raygun, aka Jake Hogan, who is an English teacher by day. “I heard about how horrible the Reagans were during the AIDS epidemic. I wanted to do something to make Nancy clutch her pearls.” As a drag concept, Nancy Raygun was born from an amalgamation of Hogan’s longstanding creative influences and visions. “I did theater when I was younger and loved design and fashion. I went to college for theater education and did a lot of sewing and design—that’s the visual angle I work from. I will never be able to do the splits, [but] I love that kind of queen. A lot of my artistic foundation was visuals, concepts, silliness and theatricality,” Hogan chuckles. Shortly thereafter, Hogan displays a technicolor catsuit actively being bedazzled for a forthcoming costume project. The central aesthetic and art of Nancy Raygun is born from Hogan’s ornate and edgy view of the world. “I love surrealistic art and things that are excessive,” they mention while pondering the core themes of their always-evolving stage persona.

“I heard about how horrible the Reagans were during the AIDS epidemic. I wanted to do something to make Nancy clutch her pearls.”

Hogan hails the local drag scene for having supported and propelled them towards the art form. “I found so many amazing drag artists that helped me grow so much,” they say, “especially when getting ready next to someone else or seeing someone wear something amazing.” Hogan notes a few specific influences that have fostered their art, including their drag moms and sisters Sequoia, Lexis Monroig and Lady Facade. It was that very scene that bolstered Nancy Raygun’s pursuit of the 2023 Miss City Weekly winner’s seat. “It’s one of the things I am most proud of in drag and in life. I started preparing six months before—it felt like putting together a play as the director, the star and the producer,” Hogan says. All the work paid off for Nancy Raygun, having taken the crown last year and now preparing for the next performance to hand off the 2024 title ahead of this year’s Utah Pride Festival. The win itself has granted some unusual gifts and challenges, including new opportunities and sometimes unwieldy expectations from audiences, including the aforementioned misapprehension that Nancy will bust out the splits and vogue on demand.

“I found so many amazing drag artists that helped me grow so much, especially when getting ready next to someone else or seeing someone wear something amazing.”

As Nancy Raygun proceeds with drag in 2024 and beyond, Hogan is creatively embracing the glorious mess of performance. The future is glitteringly bright for Hogan’s drag persona, including aspirations for more specific dramaturgy, production for other drag artists and leaning into more visual art opportunities in the craft. “Maybe one day Drag Race would be a side effect of my career, [but] it’s not the main goal. I think drag performers are curators of history. They keep things alive in queer culture that would get swept under the rug. The fame parts are fun and I hope they’d be part of a journey, [though] not the whole [thing],” muses Hogan about what drives their ongoing dedication. Hogan’s rich perspective of drag as a sparkling steward of culture and human history shows an abiding passion for the art form. We can hope and cheer for Nancy to indefinitely grace the local stages as she makes her way through the rest of the shining drag universe.

You can find and follow Nancy Raygun on Instagram at @nancyraygun40 for fresh, stunning looks and announcements about forthcoming performances.

Read more Bold & Beautiful features:
Bold & Beautiful: Shortcake the Clown
Bold & Beautiful: Lexis Monroig