Leiloni performs a routine without artificial hair during the 2014 Diva Drag Show: Dress To Kill on October 27, 2014 in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr., University Union.
The Diva Drag Show, an event billed as the second most attended event after graduation, added something new this year.
The Kings and Queens will strike fierce poses on Monday, Oct. 26, in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union and the Kings will be added this year.
K. Saldanas, vice president of Pride, said two kings will be part of the show this year. The kings will be women who dress like men. This year the theme of the show is Greek mythology.
Saldanas said most of the money donated would go to SACIS. SACIS is in danger of closing its doors and Pride wishes to donate part of the profits to SACIS.
“It’s not for us, it’s not our funding, it’s SACIS funding,” Saldanas said. “My priority is to earn as much as possible for SACIS, because it is a very important resource on campus. »
Jo Stauder said the showcase also brings a lot of awareness to Pride as an organization. Stauder said Pride is known for the Diva Drag Show and seeing the show can increase students’ interest in joining the organization.
“It’s not necessarily about us educating the public, but it’s about them learning and experiencing what drag is,” Saldanas said.
Stauder said that over the past few years, Pride has experienced significant budget cuts, so personal donations would help support the greater cause, which is funds for SACIS.
“This year, my personal goal is to incorporate teaching people about the history of drag, because drag today is very different from how it started,” Stauder said.
Stauder said that when drag started in the 70s and 80s, it was a place where trans women would go and practice passing so as not to experience violence. Passing means being able to look like what they preferred to be identified as.
Stauder said that over time, this evolved into a societal parody, in which gay men dressed up and made fun of straight men.
“Eventually it lost that kind of heavy social connotation and became just a gender performance,” Stauder said.
Stauder said Queens leader Ceduxion and all the other Queens from last year’s show are back.
The Diva Drag Show has been in the works since early summer, and Pride also booked the Grand Ballroom last semester.
Tickets are $5 for general admission, $8 for VIP seats and $10 for front row seats.
T’Nerra Butler can be reached at 581-2812 or (email protected)
