Spring Break
Not all a 'drag'
GLBT Student Union hosts mid-semester show
Erin Edwards
Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: Features
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Students packed into Hendrix Theatre to catch a drag show hosted by the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender Student Union.
GLBT Student Union President Christien Harden, along with a staff of GLBT students, kicked off the event with a panel discussion from the audience.
When asked if they believed women and men were born gay, student Jason Simone offered a glimpse into his own life.
"I truly think that you are born gay," Simone said, who comically told the audience that when he was younger, he "pranced around in a tutu" and "thought the youngest Hanson brother was my boyfriend."
"While I think people are influenced to a point, I don't think it had anything to do with my surroundings."
The entire panel shared stories about coming out to their friends and family and how they handled it. While some came out in their early teenage years, a few shared their sexuality with others just a few months before. One even admitted to being outed by an AIM spyware that her parents had installed on her computer.
"[Being gay] is part of who I am," Harden said.
But the night was not just serious talk.
The audience was treated to performances by drag queens Nicole Morgan, Jessica Blackwell, Ebony Adams and the self-proclaimed "Bitch of Greenville," Michelle Michaels, who deemed drag queens as "eyes, thighs and a big surprise."
With dance numbers ranging from Whitney Houston to Pink, Miley Cyrus and the Pussycat Dolls, the drag queens entertained the crowd with the sleekest of evening gowns to the most chaotic, colorful costumes, completed with ruffles. The crowd went wild as they danced, flipped, cartwheeled and split around the theatre.
"This show featured some of the prettiest 'mistersisters' I've ever seen," said freshman Trent Mollison, who described the show as "high energy."
"I think events like this show the spectrum of the GLBT community, especially with different lifestyles, such as transgender, who are typically overlooked," Mollison said.
For the GLBT Student Union, events such as the drag show are a way for students to unwind from everyday stress.
"We scheduled this drag show toward the middle-end of the semester because students are going to need a break from the stress of finals and papers," Harden said. "It is mostly just for fun but it's also a good way to educate students on what drag is and what it is about, because it's not simply men and women in opposite attire; it is a performance art."
Along with drag shows during the year, the organization is currently conducting a survey for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender students to take.
"I cannot estimate how important this survey is," Harden said. "This campus is blossoming at a phenomenal rate, and it's important to have these questioned answered about the GLBT community."
The survey aims to assess how the GLBT population on campus is treated, especially in the case of discrimination or harassment. Along with learning more about the GLBT community, the survey also intends to develop ways to improve the climate around the campus.
"As with all events the GLBTSU holds, we hope students gain a broader understanding of diversity and equality in the community," Harden added. "Equality is not a political matter, it is a basic human right that all people deserve."
This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.
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