Biography
Carmen Xtravaganza (born Carmen Inmaculada Ruiz, 9 April 1961 – 4 August 2023) was a Spanish-born American performer, model and singer. She joined the House of Xtravaganza in New York in 1985 and became a house mother. She appeared as herself in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, discussing her transition with house sister Brooke Xtravaganza.
Xtravaganza featured in the 1988 Village Voice article 'Venus Envy: The Drag Balls of Harlem'. She later returned to Spain, where she established a Spanish chapter of the house and appeared in the 1995 television film God Save the Queens and the 1997 feature Airbag. She served as house mother of the House of Xtravaganza at intervals until 2015 and was inducted into the Ballroom Hall of Fame in 1999.
