Photo by Shelby Russom | Photo Editor

The Feminist Union (FemU) and Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) hosted their fourth Student Drag Show, raising $375 for the Arkansas Abortion Support Network.

The drag show took place in the Simpson Theatre at the Fowler Center, with a $10 admission fee and a $5 pre-order option leading up to the event. Eight performers entertained attendees, including the Living Dead Girl, Vincent Van Hoe, Lilith Mourningstar, Hellena Hanbsasquette, Pepper SueSage, Gage Leon, Jackson Spade, Angel Fx and Rebekah Random.

Random, a transgender drag queen from Paragould and host of the event, announced plans to take a six-month break after performing for three years in drag to focus on family and friends. Additionally, she said the recent U.S. presidential election reaffirmed her commitment to LGBTQ+ advocacy. 

“A revolution started with a brick; a million people marched to get their rights. No matter what happens, we aren’t going to stop fighting — we are not giving up,” Random said. “We are going to be who we are, because at the end of the day, no matter who’s in the office, they can’t take away who we are.”

Drag is a performance medium in which people wear costumes, makeup and perform with props as a form of critique to gender inequalities, but also to promote free gender expression.

In February 2023, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed SB-43 which restricted drag shows, or “adult-oriented business.” Republican Rep. Mary Bentley, the sponsor of the bill, said the bills were not about whether drag was acceptable but whether it held to be something worth exposing children to “sexually explicit behavior.”

In 2023, GSA and Young Democrats hosted a campus drag show to combat this bill and to provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ students and allies. 

Hayley Nichols, a sophomore art history major from Cooter, Missouri, said it was empowering to see an event like the drag show happening a day after the election. 

“It’s very admirable and I think all that’s important is people being true to themselves, to have fun and to have a safe environment where people can express themselves while having a good time, just all coming together as a community,” Nichols said. 

Lindsay Cook, a sophomore graphic design major from Monet, Arkansas, said creating a space to introduce students to drag is important to help them understand the community and culture. 

“Building a safe space helps a lot of people and even though it’s a small crowd, it means a lot for some people to just see that it’s happening,” Cook said. 

They said the event created a supportive community space, which resonated with attendees following the election. 

“It’s really powerful because a lot of us were probably pretty upset by it (the election result), so to just be able to come here and just let loose in a community that fully accepts you, it really does mean a lot.” Cook said. 

Additionally, RJ Moad, a sophomore theatre major from Leachville, Arkansas, said events like this provide students with important outlets for self-expression, especially during uncertain times. 

“It’s a scary world right now,” Moad said. “So, it’s very important because it shows that people aren’t going to go down without fighting. We still have a few months at most to have fun like this without being really worried about ourselves and our friends.”

The night included dance and lip-sync performances, along with moments of humor and banter among performers. The event also included speeches addressing concerns about the future among LGBTQ+ attendees.  

Chris Smith, a senior history and communications studies double major from Cabot, Arkansas, serves as the president of the FemU. She co-hosted the event, performed as her drag persona, the Living Dead Girl, and was amongst the few who gave a speech throughout the night. 

She said recent election outcomes, including the election of the first Latina elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives, the re-election of the first transgender woman in Arkansas office and Missouri’s path to abortion rights, are significant steps forward. 

She said although they endured losses, they had historical wins which should be something worth focusing on. Smith also said she learned of the challenges that many LGBTQ+ members may face in the future by campaigning for state representative candidate Daniel Parker.

“We knew that we were fighting an uphill battle, and it was a really scary mountain to climb and fight, but what we have to understand is that things have always been scary,” Smith said. “We just have to go with it.” 

Smith said FemU remains committed to advocacy, pointing to previous actions in response to state and national legislative decisions. 

“In the spring of 2023, when the Arkansas Senate passed a bill that restricted drag from kids, what did we do? We held a drag show in this very room. In the summer of 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, what did we do? We gave out free plan B in the student union,” Smith said. “There will be a light that will always shine.”

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