Royalty will be crowned tonight in the MDR, but not the Queen Elizabeth kind. Student drag kings and queens will compete for cash prizes at
Capital’s first-ever drag show competition.
The evening’s entertainment, Don’t Be a Drag Just be a Queen, is co-hosted by PRIDE and UP and takes place tonight at 8p.m.
A drag show is an event where individuals who typically identify as males dress in an exaggerated female fashion and are nicknamed drag queens. Individuals who identify as female dress as males and are nicknamed drag kings.
“No matter gay, straight, or bi, everyone loves a drag show,” Justin Poole, President of PRIDE, said, “This is a great event to show support for Capital’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi, or transsexual) community. “
There will be several performers at the event tonight. Three professional drag performers are slated to participate, including a popular drag performer in the Columbus area, Alexis Stevens. Stevens will also judge the event, along with Assistant Director of Community Service & Student Programs Carla Daniels and Professor of Psychology Dr. Andrea Karkowski.
There will be prizes for the top three Capital students. First place receives fifty dollars, second place receives twenty-five dollars, and third place receives ten dollars. A history of drag will also be presented.
Don’t be a Drag Just be a Queen is part of Ally week, which is a national week that celebrates the Allies, or straight supporters, of the LGBT community.
“I feel like Ally Week is a great thing for Capital because it shows our LGBT community on campus how much support we have from everybody, including from professors and administrators. It’s also a great way to show that we appreciate their support greatly, so PRIDE holds events that reflect that,” Austin Brown, treasurer of PRIDE, said.
Brown also says that this should be educational for Capital students since it brings greater attention to the fact that “gender is very fluid and can sometimes come in shades of gray, not only black and white.” Brown will be participating as a queen in tonight’s event.
Not only is this an educational event, but it should also be very entertaining for the audience and performers.
“I just find it funny to dress up and pretend to be someone else” Ryne Morgan, Freshman member of PRIDE, said. Morgan will also be participating as a queen tonight.
Don’t be a Drag Just be a Queen also begins a campaign for Capital University that will be announced at tonight’s event.
