To introduce students to the drag culture, members of People Respecting Identity Diversity for Everyone will host their second annual Drag Show on May 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Comanche Room at the Clark Student Center.
Students will be able to enjoy performances by drag queens and kings, as well as participate in trivia and win prizes.
PRIDE President Christopher Cruz, theater performance sophomore, said, “It’s really cool to expose MSU to the drag culture. It’s just exposing MSU to a different culture and experiencing the queer art.”
According to Cruz, a drag show was most requested from members when PRIDE first started two years ago.
“We will have a professional drag queen [Tiffany Addams] hosting. She will be having segments of drag history trivia. We’re going to have PRIDE awards and then the performers,” Cruz said.
Local drag queen Genevieve Addams, and a couple of students will participate. PRIDE gives students the chance to take part in the drag show and express themselves.
“The previous show was so great: everyone loved it and we had a great turnout. The only thing different is that we have more segments within the performance and a MC/host,” Cruz said.
Although Cruz scheduled 100 seats for the event, he said he hopes many more students will attend the show and that the excitement for the show continues.
Cruz said the Student Government Association is covering all of the costs by helping to provide the drag performers with a treat and gift bag as a courtesy of coming to MSU and getting involved.
PRIDE members are trying to get the word out by posting flyers around campus and will have a booth where tickets will be sold, to get more students to come. Officers and members of PRIDE are the ones that made the show a reality.
PRIDE senator Jessie Tidwell, science-education freshman, said he is excited to see how it all turns out since it is his first drag show.
“Now that I am becoming president [of PRIDE] next semester it gives me an idea of what to do for next year and what I need to change or not change,” he said.
Tidwell said he is most looking forward to see the performers and how engaged the students get with the show. The event could help students learn about something new and Tidwell said the “diversity shows our culture.”
As a member of PRIDE, Lia Wiley, radiology freshman, said she has only seen drag shows on TV, so she is thrilled she will finally be able to attend her first drag show in person.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my friends who are going to be in the show,” Wiley said. “They’re going to dance and stuff, which is going to be great.”
Both Tidwell and Wiley said they have heard of negative reactions to the drag show, but are unsure of who it was from.
“In the elevators in Killingsworth and Trig, both of the posters have been crumpled up and then removed,” Wiley said. “Whenever it was first crumpled up people would just put it back up, but then later they were just removed.”
Wiley said she thinks the show is a good idea because it will be fun and feels that it will show other students that nothing can stop those who are participating or attending from having a good time.
Tickets for PRIDE’s drag show will be sold for $2 on May 3-4 at 11- 3 p.m.
