Stiletto heels, exaggerated makeup and wigs are three key components of drag that both students and drag stars sported at DePauw University’s annual Drag Ball, organized by Queer Students of Color (QSOC) and United DePauw.
This year the event took place in the UB ballroom on Saturday, April 6.Audience members were invited to dress in drag alongside drag queens Dida Ritz, Saya Naomi, Chamilla Fox and drag king Tenderoni. DePauw and greater Greencastle communities attended the event.
Greencastle resident Logi Crossley wore a black ensemble except for one eye which was covered in a striking rainbow palette. Crossley said the black outfit and eye makeup are routinely part of his look, but the heels were worn in the spirit of drag.
By traveling to Indianapolis for drag events, Crossley has met a handful of famous drag stars. For him, attending a show so close to home, especially one featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race season 4 queen, Ritz, was a no-brainer. “I’m a very, very big fan of drag and always down to watch a good drag show,” Crossley said.
According to United DePauw’s President, senior Laurel Tilton, the ball is the biggest event for the organization. Tilton said drag requires rehearsing the performance, as well as, applying makeup and creating a look. “There's so much time and effort that goes into drag, and the culture and community that goes hand in hand with drag makes it stand out as both entertainment and an art form to me,” Tilton said.
While a handful of attendees were dressed in drag and have been long time fans, this was the first live drag show for a large portion of the audience. Among the many first-time drag attendees was first-year Maddie Green. “I really like RuPaul’s Drag Race, [but] I’ve never seen live drag before, only shows,” Green said.
Similar to Tilton, Green sees drag as a form of art.“It’s still self expression,” Green said. “I think that it’s different than many ‘classical’ forms of art because it’s much more controversial and includes different societal aspects than you would see in a museum or gallery.”
Although this was Green’s first encounter with live drag, she said that she would definitely attend the event again. “Overall, I thought that it was really awesome and a good show,” Green said.
Whether Drag Ball was a person’s first exposure to drag, like Green, or they travel to attend similar events, like Crossley, Tilton emphasized the importance of welcoming everyone to attend this event.
“One of the beauties of drag is that it plays around with the fluidity of gender,” Tilton said.“I hope that when people come to the Drag Ball, they gain a better appreciation for the art of drag. It's something that has a lot of historical significance to the queer community and offers a space to interrogate stereotypical boundaries of gender expression.”
