“There is freedom in drag,” said Jeremy Kidd, Queer Action president. “This is a new experience for VCU. There hasn’t been anything like this here before, and we want people to learn more about transgenders.”
Queer Action is sponsoring Saturday’s Drag Ball in the University Student Commons to get the word out about different types of lifestyles and to encourage activism in the gay community.
The ball will feature local drag queens like Tiffany Devereaux, India Spalding and India Ferrah. A drag king and queen will be elected to represent VCU.
“This drag ball is going to really show people that you can play with gender a little bit,” Kidd said. “People can let themselves go and do whatever they want or say whatever they want for one night.”
Drag Ball
Sponsored by Queer Action and hosted by Vegas
Saturday, Nov. 19
9 p.m. to midnight
University Student Commons Commonwealth Ballroom
$3 for VCU students, $5 for non-VCU students
The message Queer Action wants to get out is that society creates rigid gender terms, and people can break out of them if they want. All students are welcome to attend the ball, and it is encouraged – but not required – that they dress in drag.
The way drag queens are known today came around in the beginning of the 20th century. The phrase “drag queen” originated from Polari, the language gays spoke in England in the early 1900s. The term “drag” is theater slang for when a male actor dressed as a female for a role, and “queen” was a term for a gay male who acted extremely feminine.
Dressing in drag is a part of Western culture. In 1969 drag queens fought at the Stonewall Riots, which were violent fights that erupted between New York City police officers and drag queens. Drag shows usually are at gay-pride parades.
Drag queens are prominent members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestites) community, and they usually are community leaders who chair projects or fundraisers for a variety of activities.
Drag is a way for many to understand their gender identity. It can be men or women, who are not always homosexual, dressed in drag. Some just simply enjoy dressing as the opposite sex and assuming a new identity for the night.
There are many different theatrical presentations involving drag queens. They range from small bars to venue performances, especially for the drag performer. Some shows involve a drag queen impersonating a singer with background dancing. Performances are not always impersonations, but the background show is not always as elaborate. It really depends on each performer and their individual taste.
Drag queens usually dress in elaborate costumes with big hair, flashy makeup and tight clothes. They try to make a statement with what they wear, and many of the local performers are regulars at bars.
It is customary to tip a drag queen after each performance. The drag queens use the money to buy new costumes, wigs and makeup.
“The drag ball is going to be a really great way to get the message out to people on campus about drag,” Kidd said. “It is going to be a lot of fun, and hopefully it will get people to know more about what dressing in drag is all about.”
All of the proceeds from the drag ball are being donated to the Transgender Clinic at the Fan Free Clinic. The clinic specializes in transsexual care, which offers hormones and genital examinations, among other services.
“This ball is a good cause,” Kidd said. “I hope it increases awareness about people who dress in drag and helps start a movement on campus to have policies protecting transgenders and other gays.”