Lineysha Sparx
{{Short description|American drag performer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lineysha Sparx
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| birth_name = Andrew Trinidad
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| birth_place = New York, New York
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| television = RuPaul's Drag Race (season 5)
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Lineysha Sparx is the stage name of Andrew "Andy" Trinidad, an Afro–Puerto Rican drag performer who competed on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race.{{Cite book |last=La Fountain-Stokes |first=Lawrence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MkQjEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&pg=PA94 |title=Translocas: The Politics of Puerto Rican Drag and Trans Performance |date=2021-04-05 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=978-0-472-12607-1 |language=en |access-date=2024-01-03 |archive-date=2024-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103221948/https://books.google.com/books?id=MkQjEAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA94&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Lineysha%20Sparx%22&f=false |url-status=live }}
Career
Trinidad competed as Lineysha Sparx on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which aired in 2013. She placed ninth overall and won one main challenge.{{Cite web |last=Bump |first=Emily |date=2020-09-13 |title=RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5: Where Are They Now? |url=https://screenrant.com/rupauls-drag-race-season-5-where-are-they-now/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=ScreenRant |language=en |archive-date=2023-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203091126/https://screenrant.com/rupauls-drag-race-season-5-where-are-they-now/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=10 Drag Race Queens Who Unexpectedly Went Home After Lip Syncing Once |url=https://www.out.com/television/2022/9/13/10-drag-race-queens-who-unexpectedly-went-home-after-lip-syncing-once |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.out.com |language=en |archive-date=2024-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102205426/https://www.out.com/television/2022/9/13/10-drag-race-queens-who-unexpectedly-went-home-after-lip-syncing-once |url-status=live }} On the third episode ("Draggle Rock), she and Alaska Thunderfuck created the drag doll named Lil' Poundcake for the Miss Junior Drag Superstar mini-challenge.{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q4OSEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&pg=PT204 |title=And Don't F&%k It Up: An Oral History of RuPaul's Drag Race (The First Ten Years) |last2= |first2= |date=2023-06-06 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=978-1-5387-1767-7 |language=en |access-date=2024-01-03 |archive-date=2024-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103221911/https://books.google.com/books?id=q4OSEAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT204&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Lineysha%20Sparx%22&f=false |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last1=Kempt |first1=Hendrik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dxyVDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&pg=PT116 |title=RuPaul's Drag Race and Philosophy: Sissy That Thought |last2=Volpert |first2=Megan |date=2019-12-03 |publisher=Open Court Publishing |isbn=978-0-8126-9482-6 |language=en |access-date=2024-01-03 |archive-date=2024-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103221944/https://books.google.com/books?id=dxyVDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT116&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Lineysha%20Sparx%22&f=false |url-status=live }} The doll went on to be sold commercially by Alaska and Lineysha Sparx as a plush toy.{{cite web |last1=Fernandes |first1=Aurelia |title=Who is Lil' Poundcake? Here's all about 'RPDR' All-Star winner Alaska and Lineysha Sparx's 'drag daughter' |url=https://meaww.com/lil-poundcake-doll-rpdr-all-star-winner-alaska-and-lineysha-sparx-drag-daughter |website=Meaww}} The queer music artist Chappell Roan would go on to cite Lil Poundcake as her inspiration for her drag looks and for her NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert performance.{{cite web |last1=Wolper |first1=Caitlin |title=‘How Can We Make It Campier?’ - Chappell Roan's Best Outfits |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/chappell-roans-best-outfits.html |publisher=Vulture |date=24 May 2024 |access-date=1 April 2025}}
Eventually, Lineysha Sparx was eliminated from the competition after placing in the bottom two of the Snatch Game challenge, during which she impersonated Cuban-American singer Celia Cruz,{{Cite web |title=The Sixth Eliminated Queen from "RuPaul's Drag Race": "I Hate 'Snatch Game'!" |url=https://www.logotv.com/news/0z0kl1/the-sixth-eliminated-queen-from-rupauls-drag-race-i-hate-snatch-game |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.logotv.com |language=en |archive-date=2024-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103221944/https://www.logotv.com/news/0z0kl1/the-sixth-eliminated-queen-from-rupauls-drag-race-i-hate-snatch-game |url-status=live }} and losing a lip-sync against Detox to "Take Me Home" (1979) by Cher.{{Cite web |last=Holland |first=Scott |date=2013-02-27 |title=Rupaul's Drag Race Season 5 – Lineysha Sparx {{!}} Hotspots! Magazine |url=https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2013/02/27/rupauls-drag-race-season-5-lineysha-sparx/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125111648/https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2013/02/27/rupauls-drag-race-season-5-lineysha-sparx/ |url-status=live }} Mariana Frenandez of Screen Rant said Lineysha Sparx should have won the design challenge.{{Cite web |last=Fernandes |first=Mariana |date=2019-11-08 |title=RuPaul's Drag Race: 10 Design Challenge Runner-Ups That Should Have Won |url=https://screenrant.com/rupauls-drag-race-challenge-runner-ups-should-won/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=ScreenRant |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221031510/https://screenrant.com/rupauls-drag-race-challenge-runner-ups-should-won/ |url-status=live }} Lineysha Sparx struggled with speaking English and, according to authors of two books about Drag Race, was viewed as a stereotype.{{Cite book |last=Daems |first=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2pjLBAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&pg=PA57 |title=The Makeup of RuPaul's Drag Race: Essays on the Queen of Reality Shows |date=2014-10-02 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-1886-9 |language=en |access-date=2024-01-03 |archive-date=2024-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103221912/https://books.google.com/books?id=2pjLBAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA57&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Lineysha%20Sparx%22&f=false |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last1=Brennan |first1=Niall |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oLsyDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&pg=PA50 |title=RuPaul's Drag Race and the Shifting Visibility of Drag Culture: The Boundaries of Reality TV |last2=Gudelunas |first2=David |date=2017-08-25 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-50618-0 |language=en |access-date=2024-01-03 |archive-date=2024-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103221943/https://books.google.com/books?id=oLsyDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA50&dq=%22Lineysha+Sparx%22&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22Lineysha%20Sparx%22&f=false |url-status=live }} In 2023, Bernardo Sim of Pride.com wrote, "Due to her language barrier, Lineysha Sparx was regularly dismissed by other contestants and even by some judges. Alas, Lineysha did prove how gorgeous of a queen she is, and stunted that runway with some gorgeous costumes."{{Cite web |title=Fan-Casting An All-Fashion Queens Season of 'Drag Race' |url=https://www.pride.com/drag-queens/rupauls-drag-race-fashion-queens |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.pride.com |language=en |archive-date=2023-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117075150/https://www.pride.com/drag-queens/rupauls-drag-race-fashion-queens |url-status=live }} In 2024, Sim said Lineysha Sparx's elimination "was truly shocking" and wrote: "She had a very strong track record at the beginning of the competition (including a maxi challenge win). Thus, sending her home in episode 5 was very unexpected, to say the least!"{{Cite web |title=15 'Drag Race' queens who were shockingly eliminated after 1 lip sync |url=https://www.out.com/gay-tv-shows/drag-race-queens-eliminated-after-one-lip-sync#rebelltitem9 |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=www.out.com |language=en}}
Lineysha Sparx has performed at the Señor Frog's in Orlando and at the Latin Hump Day Fiesta at Pan Dulce in San Francisco. She performed at Club Hippo's Euforia Latina Party in Baltimore in 2013.{{Cite web |title=Queer Is Invincible |url=https://www.thefader.com/2016/06/13/pulse-orlando-pride |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=The FADER |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302043132/https://www.thefader.com/2016/06/13/pulse-orlando-pride |url-status=live }}
Personal life
Trinidad was born in New York City{{cite web | url=https://www.thetalko.com/rupauls-drag-race-cancer-contestants-astrology/ | title=10 Best Cancer Contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race | date=17 April 2020 }} and grew up in San Juan. He is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-13 |title=10 Latina Queens Who Slayed It on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' |url=https://remezcla.com/lists/film/rpdr-latina-queens/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Remezcla |language=en-US}}
Lineysha Sparx is a "drag daughter" of season 4 contestant Madame LaQueer.{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Timothy |date=2015-05-01 |title=10 Things You Never Knew About Madame LaQueer |url=https://www.queerty.com/10-things-you-never-knew-about-madame-laqueer-20150501 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704053840/https://www.queerty.com/10-things-you-never-knew-about-madame-laqueer-20150501 |archive-date=2022-07-04 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Queerty}}{{Cite web |last=Hurley |first=Sam |date=2022-02-23 |title=RuPaul's Drag Race: Drag Mothers and Daughters Who Have Competed for the Crown |url=https://screenrant.com/rupauls-drag-race-drag-mothers-daughters-competed-crown/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029174948/https://screenrant.com/rupauls-drag-race-drag-mothers-daughters-competed-crown/ |archive-date=2023-10-29 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Screen Rant |language=en}}
Filmography
- Rise of the Zombies (2012)
- RuPaul's Drag Race (season 5; 2013)
- RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
- Faster Than the Speed of Light (2015)
- Skin Wars (2016){{Cite web |title=Drag Queens Stomp the Runway at 'Skin Wars' |url=https://www.out.com/television/2016/5/12/drag-queens-stomp-runway-skin-wars |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=www.out.com |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4876953/ Lineysha Sparx] at IMDb
- [https://www.queerty.com/lineysha-sparx-rupauls-drag-race-season-5-ask-me-anything-ama-shooting-star-management-20141027 Watch: Lineysha Sparx Answers Fan Questions for Ask Me Anything LIVE!], Queerty
{{RuPaul's Drag Race}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:African diaspora in Puerto Rico
Category:Drag performers from New York City
Category:People from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Category:People of Dominican Republic descent
Category:People of Puerto Rican descent