I was especially impressed with the immersion event I picked for the second half of the semester. I chose to attend the Drag show here on campus. It was extremely joyous and fun while also engaging and provoked a lot of critical thinking. Having drag on this campus specifically has had a lot of positive implications and has pushed the envelope but has also been doing so in the world of popular culture.
On a religious campus, it pushes against the norm or mainstream to hold a drag show especially because we are a Catholic institution. However, the Jesuits are notorious for pushing against the grain and showing the many ways in which to accept all identities and celebrations even when the leadership of the church was not necessarily ready to. Having a drag show on this campus gives the message that we will support queer students no matter the cost because they are to be accepted here.
Recently there has been a lot of buzz about drag queens and shows about them (NY Times). RuPaul’s drag race has become one of the most (if not the most popular) show about drag queens. There was a lot of contriversy after RuPaul told The Guardian that trans women would not be allowed on the show. There was a lot of backlash about who should be allowed to do drag or what it can tell us about the gender and sex spectrums. For instance, one drag performer who transitioned after being on RuPaul’s show spoke out openly about how cisgender men and women as well as transgender men and women should all be accepted in drag (Monica Beverly Hills). She explains that there is a real divide in the drag community between cisgender men and their peers who may eventally transition. She calls for a more inclusive drag experience even as drag is more visible in mainstream media (Monica Beverly Hills). This is similar to what Feinberg called for, a more inclusive community within drag culture but also LGBTQIA+ culture in general.
As drag has entered mainstream media and has become more safe and accepted it is clear that drag shows are doing more than just providing visibility, an opportunity to show parts of ourselves that we may not in other spheres and to play with gender. Even as drag has become more accepted it is continuing to push against the status quo as queens had to do so long ago to even be able to perform drag in the first place. The push to have drag on this campus shows tolerance for queer people from the religious community as well. I think it is important to continue to have drag shows because it provides a good president for conversations about gender and sexuality which is exactly what happened at this drag show.
Monica Beverly Hills reminds us that it was trans women of color who threw the first shots at stonewall and this is why we are called to include them and all types of queer people in drag. Feinberg calls for this just in the LGBTQIA+ community and in life in general. It is so important to continue to have these kinds of events intersectional for that reason.
Thank you for your post!
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