ALASKA THUNDERFUCK 5000 (aka Justin Andrew Honard) is an American drag queen and recording artist, primarily known mononymously as Alaska from Erie, Pennsylvania. She is best known as the runner-up on the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the winner of the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. In June 2019, a panel of judges from New York magazine placed her seventh on their list of “the most powerful drag queens in America”, a ranking of 100 former Drag Race contestants.
Honard co-hosts the web series Bro’Laska alongside her brother, Corey Binney. Her first studio album, Anus, was released in 2015, followed by her second album, Poundcake, in 2016. Her third album, Vagina, was released in 2019. Honard is also a part of The AAA Girls, a drag group with Willam and Courtney Act and hosts the podcast Race Chaser with Willam.
Alaska originally moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Dissatisfied with the auditioning process, she turned to drag and got a job at the West Hollywood club Fubar. She frequently performed in the Trannyshack shows in Los Angeles. In 2009, she performed in Palm Springs Gay Pride with Tammie Brown and Jer Ber Jones.
Alaska met future (and now Ex) boyfriend Sharon Needles (stage name of Aaron Coady) through Myspace in December 2009 and eventually moved back to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to live with him in 2010. Along with Needles and Cherri Baum, she formed the band Haus of Haunt, which later evolved into a drag troupe based out of Pittsburgh bar the Blue Moon. As part of the Haus of Haunt, she helped present the Pittsburgh debut of fellow drag queen and recording artist Christeene Vale in 2013. Alaska later impersonated Vale for the music video “RuPaulogize” by Willam Belli.
Alaska Thunderfuck competed on the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, under the mononym Alaska. She had previously auditioned for every season of the show. Alaska won the fragrance commercial-themed main challenge in the episode “Scent of a Drag Queen” and the main challenge for “Sugar Ball.” As part of the show, Alaska sang on the “We Are the World”-inspired song “Can I Get an Amen?”. The song’s proceeds helped benefit the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. At the season finale in May 2013, Alaska was declared the runner-up along with fellow competitor Roxxxy Andrews. Jinkx Monsoon was the winner of the season.
In October 2013, Alaska performed as Dr. Frank N. Furter in Woodlawn Theatre’s production of The Rocky Horror Show in San Antonio, Texas. RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and season four contestant Willam Belli also starred in the musical.