Sasha Colby

Sasha Kekauoha, professionally known as Sasha Colby, is an American drag performer, beauty pageant competitor, model, and activist. Born on July 26, 1984, she has established herself as a prominent figure within drag culture. She achieved widespread recognition by winning the national Miss Continental beauty pageant in 2012 and later competing on the fifteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2023, where she was crowned the winner as the first Native Hawaiian contestant to participate in the series.

Colby was raised in Waimānalo, Oʻahu, Hawaii, as the youngest of seven children in a conservative Jehovah's Witness household. Her upbringing was highly restrictive, preventing her from visiting others' homes or celebrating holidays and birthdays until age 16. Her mother suffered from severe bipolar disorder, which created an unstable home environment, while her father was of Native Hawaiian descent. Facing childhood bullying due to her physical appearance and feminine qualities, Colby began formal dance training at age 13, studying hip-hop, jazz, and ballet at 24/7 Danceforce Studio in Kāneʻohe, Hawaii. Her early artistic style was heavily shaped by musical influences such as Janet Jackson's 1997 album The Velvet Rope, along with artists and models including Madonna, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell.

At age 17, Colby attended a drag show at a venue in Waikīkī, where seeing transfemme performers inspired her understanding of her gender identity and performing aspirations. She officially transitioned at age 18 and was introduced to the pageant system by her drag mother, Cassandra Colby. After graduating high school at 17, she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she engaged in sex work to fund her medical and cosmetic transition while beginning her professional drag career at local gay bars before returning to Hawaii.

Over the following years, Colby established a notable record in drag pageantry. She first entered Miss Continental in 2005, finishing as fourth alternate, and was named first runner-up in 2008 before winning the national title in 2012. Her pageant record also includes titles such as Miss West Virginia Continental in 2008 and Miss Pennsylvania Premiere Continental in 2012. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2014, she organized a monthly trans-inclusive event in West Hollywood, appeared in Sasha Velour's NightGowns showcase and its 2020 docu-series, represented Hawaii in a 2020 GLAAD voter outreach campaign, and walked the runway at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

In 2023, Colby earned the title of America's Next Drag Superstar on the fifteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, becoming the first winner of Polynesian descent and the second openly transgender woman to win the main American series. Following her victory, she spoke at a Pride Month celebration hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris. Outside of competition, Colby is an ordained minister and serves as a drag mother to several notable figures, including Drag Race contestant Kerri Colby and musician Chappell Roan.