By Viviana Vidal
The Allies of KU presented the 9th annual Drag Show on Tuesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. in Schaeffer Auditorium. Along with KU student performances, the show featured appearances by professional queens Akasha Couture, Sharron Ann Husbands and Elektra Fierce St. James.
Drag is much more than just the clothing typical of one sex worn by another; it is a performance culture.
  “Try executing aerobatic moves in sky high heels, sparkling attire, va-va-voom wings and flawless make-up all while making sure your candy stays hidden with duct tape, hosiery, and a prayer,” said seasoned drag queen Big Mama Schlomo on her blog.
Since the mounting popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the drag show hosted by Allies has been a significant fundraiser and a way to raise awareness of the LGBT population on campus. Secretary of Allies, James Patrick Carraghan, discussed how the show has evolved and what was new in 2015.
“This year was a very student-focused show. We had a lot more students performing than we usually do,” he said. “We also had a number of performers who sang their songs live instead of lip-singing, which is what most drag performers tend to do.”
This year’s show even featured student acts that were more like performance art—both of which were “really original and bold,” according to Carraghan.
Student Director Rachael Dechert and student Stage Manager Shannon Peitzer spoke about criteria for student performers and collaborating with professional queens.
“All are welcome to perform provided the performance is appropriate for a college audience. It’s a lot of fun. These girls can get pretty crazy on stage and backstage,” said Peitzer.
Considering her first drag show attendance, Avery Candy, a senior communication studies major, said, “The students from KU were so confident and they had a lot of guts to go up there and perform. I loved the queens that hosted and performed for us. They were amazing.”
All proceeds from the event went to The Trevor Project and the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition.
The Allies of KU already have many different events scheduled for this coming fall semester, including National Coming Out Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance and a performance of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Like its Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @kuallies to keep up with all the excitement.
