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everyone except
Escalera seemed to emerge from the building. Firefighters arrived, as did officers from the 83rd Precinct. When the blaze was extinguished, at 4:37 a.m., Escalera was discovered, "unconscious and unresponsive" and paramedics declared her dead at the scene. A fire department spokesman said that firefighters using thermal imaging equipment found the body on a bed.
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Though the fire has been deemed suspicious, investigators have found no evidence of accelerant. The police were still awaiting a determination on the cause from fire marshals. Escalera's roommates said that when work was done on the electrical system, they created holes around the electrical outlets
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On May 11, 2012, Escalera brought two men to her apartment, at 43 Furman Avenue in
Bushwick, according to police reports. At about 4 a.m., a fire broke out in the apartment. A passer-by ran into the four-story building and began banging on doors, according to a neighbor. In the ensuing chaos,
184:. She began walking balls and competing for prizes as an Xtravaganza; picking up the name La'reina Xtravaganza from fans. Xtravaganza also had a career as a model; although it is not known to the public what she modeled for.
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and filled them with cardboard. The whereabouts of the two visitors were not known, though a neighbor said he was told by the passer-by that two men were arguing in front of the building at the time of the fire.
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in Puerto Rico but wanted to come to New York City to broaden her career as a performer and model. Once arriving, Escalera joined the renowned performance house, The
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Escalera posthumously rose to mainstream attention after her murder in 2012. She was found unconscious and unresponsive in her
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apartment. Escalera's apartment was set on fire after she had been strangled then suffocated.
143:. She was given the last name Xtravaganza for her membership of a celebrated group called The
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251:"Transgender Star Lorena Escalera's Murder Still Unsolved a Year After Death"
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when she turned eighteen years old. Escalera had been working as a
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127:(October 14, 1986 – May 12, 2012), known professionally as
315:"Woman Dies in a Brooklyn Fire That Is Deemed Suspicious"
284:"Transgender Performer Dies In Suspicious Brooklyn Fire"
178:, which were featured in the popular 1990 documentary,
341:"NY Times Trans Exploitation Completely Unacceptable"
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article covering
Escalera's death was criticized by
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Puerto Rican model and sex worker and murder victim
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925:Deaths by strangulation in the United States
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135:performer known for her impersonations of
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945:LGBTQ Hispanic and Latino American people
313:Baker, Al; Schweber, Nate (12 May 2012).
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920:American people of Puerto Rican descent
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975:Unsolved murders in the United States
7:
497:CBX: Canadian Ballroom Extravaganza
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910:2012 murders in the United States
673:(founder & inventor of vogue)
955:People murdered in New York City
214:for being "trans exploitation".
970:Puerto Rican transgender people
940:Puerto Rican LGBTQ entertainers
879:African-American LGBT community
753:Robbie St. Laurent (co-founder)
960:Transgender women entertainers
756:Terry St. Laurent (co-founder)
750:Chris St. Laurent (co-founder)
339:McQuade, Aaron (14 May 2012).
1:
980:Violence against trans women
162:Lorena Escalera was born in
915:Puerto Rican murder victims
712:Lottie LaBeija (co-founder)
1001:
950:Nightlife in New York City
687:Richard Ebony (co-founder)
965:Transgender female models
872:Blond Ambition World Tour
796:Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza
843:African-American culture
770:The House of Xtravaganza
744:The House of St. Laurent
690:Larry Ebony (co-founder)
224:List of unsolved murders
343:. GLAAD. Archived from
985:Women in New York City
848:African-American dance
777:Hector Valle (founder)
930:Female murder victims
860:Imperial Court System
736:Kevin Milan (founder)
618:Jean-Philippe Aviance
131:, was a Puerto Rican
935:House of Xtravaganza
699:The House of LaBeija
638:Tamsier Joof Aviance
593:The House of Aviance
176:House of Xtravaganza
145:House of Xtravaganza
855:Cross dressing ball
760:Octavia St. Laurent
664:The House of Dupree
613:Erickatoure Aviance
601:Mother Juan Aviance
575:The House of Amazon
424:Film and television
347:on 16 November 2012
261:on 20 December 2014
69:Cause of death
801:Lorena Xtravaganza
791:Hector Xtravaganza
730:The House of Milan
681:The House of Ebony
647:The House of Corey
370:Lorena Xtravaganza
207:The New York Times
129:Lorena Xtravaganza
62:Brooklyn, New York
23:Lorena Xtravaganza
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811:Venus Xtravaganza
786:Danni Xtravaganza
781:Angie Xtravaganza
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115:Years active
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432:Paris Is Burning
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294:on 29 April 2015
290:. Archived from
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257:. Archived from
255:DNAinfo New York
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181:Paris is Burning
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36:October 14, 1986
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456:Strike a Pose
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440:How Do I Look
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166:and moved to
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77:strangulation
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806:Luis Camacho
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709:(co-founder)
671:Paris Dupree
654:Dorian Corey
633:Nita Aviance
495:
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475:(2018–2021)
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410:Ball culture
349:. Retrieved
345:the original
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322:. Retrieved
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296:. Retrieved
292:the original
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263:. Retrieved
259:the original
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50:May 12, 2012
905:2012 deaths
900:1986 births
716:Kia LaBeija
628:Kim Aviance
541:Throw shade
492:(2020–2022)
324:19 December
298:19 December
265:19 December
164:Puerto Rico
133:transgender
87:Citizenship
81:suffocation
40:Puerto Rico
894:Categories
230:References
54:2012-05-13
656:(founder)
603:(founder)
584:(founder)
489:Legendary
288:Gothamist
158:Biography
118:2004–2012
101:Performer
524:Language
464:My House
218:See also
152:Bushwick
91:American
73:Asphyxia
609:(label)
568:members
417:Culture
137:Beyoncé
52: (
564:Houses
531:Banjee
500:(2022)
467:(2018)
459:(2016)
451:(2016)
443:(2006)
435:(1991)
351:22 Oct
866:Vogue
515:Vogue
508:Dance
480:Pilot
212:GLAAD
188:Death
109:model
551:Slay
536:Kiki
472:Pose
448:Kiki
374:IMDb
353:2012
326:2014
300:2014
267:2014
139:and
79:and
47:Died
29:Born
566:and
546:Yas
372:at
75:by
896::
868:"
317:.
286:.
275:^
253:.
238:^
147:.
107:,
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864:"
482:"
478:"
402:e
395:t
388:v
355:.
328:.
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269:.
56:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.