CHLOE KOWALYK
Managing Editor
Queer culture was in the spotlight this past November, as the annual drag show was held once again by the Pride Alliance at Fredonia.
Four different drag queens strutted the stage on Saturday, Nov. 13 in the Williams Center multi-purpose room.
L-S-D, Stormy Sky, Regina Gorg and Queue Queer are all students at SUNY Fredonia by day, but at night, they take on new identities, inspiring prospective queens and other students to try drag, and advocating for queer and transgender rights.
The queens displayed several outfits, lip-synced to popular songs and danced in front of a raving audience.
The show was hosted by SUNY Fredonia alum and drag queen Juliette Stark, who introduced each of the queens and interviewed them about their interests.
In addition, the drag show featured a student DJ, who goes by “DJ Majik,” and live sound was provided by Sound Services.
Stark believes that drag is important to have at Fredonia. She said, “It’s sometimes just like a base ground for a future drag career. … I started on this very stage six years ago, I [am now] able to [perform] in Buffalo, … Rochester, Syracuse [and] all over New York state.”
According to Stark, starting small on a stage like the one in Fredonia can help aspiring drag queens get on their feet and start getting experience in performance. Stark attributes her success as a drag queen to her experience at the drag shows held at SUNY Fredonia.
“[I’ve been able to] make an actual career out of an art form that I absolutely love and enjoy,” she said.
Not only does the annual drag show provide upcoming queens with opportunities to perform, but also the show provides a glimpse into queer culture. At small universities like Fredonia, it’s often difficult to portray diversity and the different identities that make up the student population.
One fan and student, Olivia Frazer, said she enjoys coming to drag shows because of their prominence in queer culture.
“I think drag is really important anywhere. It’s a means of self expression. It’s an entire cultural, historical thing. … It’s a celebration of queerness,” she said. “It’s light-hearted; it’s jovial. And I think overall, it’s just something that’s a celebration of the queer community.”
The four performing drag queens offered their own advice to those interested in trying out drag. They all agreed on one solid piece of advice: “If you’re interested, just go for it.”
The show concluded with roaring applause and cheers from a supportive audience, and an opportunity to meet and get photos with the queens. The Pride Alliance at Fredonia can be found on Instagram at @prideatfredonia.
