Strobe lights hit the faces in the crowd as drag queens perform in the 10th annual Drag Show on April 3, hosted by Housing Residence and Life.
Students and Bowling Green locals gathered at the Knicely Conference Center located on South Campus for the excitement. The doors opened at 6 p.m., following a lineup of drag queens performing around 7 p.m.
Charlotte Miller, a freshman dance and advertising double major from Memphis, Tennessee, said that this was her first time going to a drag show. She said that she and a couple of friends saw a flyer for the show in their dorms.
She said that back in her hometown, there used to be a drag brunch restaurant called the Atomic Rose that permanently closed down a few years ago.
“I remember in Tennessee, there was a really big deal about two years ago where drag queens were basically banned,” Miller said.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union organization of Tennessee (ACLU), the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act, also referred to as the Tennessee drag ban, was a bill created to ban public “adult cabaret performances” in public areas where children may be present. According to a recent article produced by AP News, this act is still in effect after federal appeals in court dismissed a lawsuit challenging the act.
“We just wanted to come support our local drag performers,” Miller said. “It’s really hard to do that in Kentucky and in Memphis too.”
Another student who attended the show with Miller, Ivy Tran, a freshman advertising major from Memphis, Tennessee, said that this was also her first time at a drag event.
“I expect to see them lip-syncing for their life. I love Rupaul’s Drag Race,” Tran said. “I’m so excited to see it in real life.”
She said that she’s used to being from a bigger city where performances or live shows are more prevalent. She said didn’t know what she was going to expect in a smaller town live show but was excited to see the drag queens perform.
Texas native Chad Lawhorn said that he was one of the main coordinators from HRL for the 10th annual Drag Show. Lawhorn is the area coordinator for Douglas Keen Hall, Hugh Poland Hall and Pearce Ford Tower residence halls.
“It is a lot of work and a lot of planning,” Lawhorn said. “It’s nice to see the smiles on the students’ faces whenever the event happens.”
Lawhorn said that planning events like the drag show is impactful for the student community, especially for students who may view WKU as a safe place to express themselves.
“We want to let our students know that even though they are away from home, there is still a place here at WKU too,” Lawhorn said. “We hope events like the drag show can make even a small impact.”
Lawhorn said that when he was a former undergrad student attending WKU, he got to attend the first ever drag show hosted by HRL. He said that by coordinating these events alongside the HRL team, he feels that he is helping the community.
“Continue to support, you can always vote and use your right to do so,” Lawhorn said. “We’re helping students find their path, and we want to encourage empowerment.
He said that the drag show showcases talented individuals and has had past student performers, which has been impactful for the show.
“The show optimized the beauty of others, and it helps us all be connected, even though we’re all so different,” Lawhorn said. “It has inspired me in a lot of ways.”
Queen Venus Knight from Bowling Green said she has a 10-year-long drag performing career.
“I was traveling as a Beyonce impersonator at one point,” Knight said. “In the first show, I came through the side door and the audience went crazy.”
Knight said that she was excited to perform and that she does get nervous sometimes before performing.
“People don’t understand how afraid I am of being on the stage,” Knight said. “For the first 30 seconds, I’m shaking, but I have to keep telling myself that I’m safe.”
Knight said that she has experienced the growth of the drag community in Bowling Green over the past couple of years. She said that when she first began, it felt that there was competition among her fellow drag performers.
“It was like a dog-eat-dog then,” Knight said. “I think as we’ve gotten older, we’re working together to make an impact on the world because so much is happening.”
She said that as she and her fellow drag performers get older, they’re trying to use their platforms to make positive changes.
“At least most of us anyway,” Knight said.
Knight said that she came here with several loved ones, like her partner, daughter and friends. She said that she got ready for tonight with her daughter.
“Me getting ready consists of makeup and outfits, which is only 20 minutes,” Knight said. “I get ready with my daughter, and it takes hours for her.”
Knight said that she was grateful to everyone who came out to see her and the other drag queens perform.
“With the way the world is going, it seems like this might be our last year performing,” Knight said. “We’ve got to get creative and keep positivity.”