NKU’s LGBTQA+ Student Initiatives (SI) hosted their annual drag show Tuesday evening, celebrating the start of LGBT History Month. The Student Union Ballroom was set up with chairs, a runway stage and tables for different organizations involved in the LGBT community to connect with attendees.
Some of the tables included NKU’s Care Closet, University of Kentucky (UK) HealthCare and Crossport.
Care Closet, located in the University Center, offers free clothing to NKU students. The organization currently partners with LGBTQA+ SI to provide free chest binders to students and are currently taking donations to contribute towards the cost of the binders. According to their website, over $1,000 was raised in the Spring of 2024 for the cause.
Caitlin Drouillard-Ahlrichs, Care Closet program coordinator, said that the organization works to provide a welcoming shopping experience that doesn’t involve gendered clothing.
“Students are free to shop in whatever section they choose,” they said.
UK HealthCare’s Target4 Project works to provide “early intervention services, as well as health education and risk reduction services across the Commonwealth of Kentucky”.
The Target4 Project provides free HIV and Hepatitis testing along with other intercourse protection tools. A healthcare fair and drag show will be hosted by the organization at the Leapin Lizard on Oct. 16 at 3:30 p.m.
A member from Crossport, a not-for-profit organization that serves the transgender community, spoke about her experience as a transgender person.
“There was a question asked earlier,” she said. “‘What would you like to be when you grow up?’ I got to thinking about that and the answer that I have for what I want to be when I grow up is accepted.”
The evening consisted of a variety of drag performances both by professionals and students.
LaVette Burnette, Director of LGBTQ Services, introduced drag queen DJ Syimone as the first performer and DJ of the event.
Burnette said that Syimone performed last year as well. She asked the crowd who had attended the event last year. As hands started raising, Burnette said, “Alright so you saw me fangirl.”
“I tell this story every time,” Burnette explained. “When I was in high school, I met this amazing drag queen. And in high school, she was walking down the hall in drag and I was like ‘Oh my gooosh,” she said with a smile across her face.
Burnette said in her “young gay days” she would see Syimone perform at clubs on a regular basis. One day, she said when she was scrolling the internet, she saw Syimone still doing drag.
After performing to a remix of ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton, Syimone talked with the crowd about the theme of this year’s drag show kickoff event.
“Our theme this year is ‘You Matter,’” she said. “And it’s important for you to know that that is very, very true.”
Syimone laughed, referencing Burnette’s speech and said that in high school, she was “very brave.”
“And that was the early 90s,” Syimone went on. “We didn’t even have labels for most of this stuff. I had purple hair, I wore riding boots and make up. I wanted to push everybody’s buttons, and I think I pretty much succeeded.”
Syimone said that she is proof that “you can be who you are, love who you are and live and thrive.”
The DJ introduced each drag performer as they entered the stage with their chosen music playing. One of the performers, Vic Leon, Syimone works with as a board chair of the Louisville Pride Foundation. This foundation offers a food bank as well as HIV testing and other needs the community may have.
A Cincinnati drag performer named Quasi also joined the event Tuesday evening.
“She is the reason that I even got to work here in Cincinnati and to build a name,” said Syimone.
There were also several student drag performances at the kickoff event.
After a few performances, Syimone encouraged any student who wanted to participate in a ‘cat-walk’ to form a line near the stage steps. As music played, students took turns showing off their best moves down the runway.
Kidd Davis, a freshman at NKU, was one of the students who joined in on the fun of the cat-walk. Davis said that she had never been to a drag show before but that all of her expectations were met.
“I knew I was going to enjoy myself and be the loudest one there and I was,” Davis said.
Davis is a member of Q.P.L.U.S. Scholars at NKU, a LGBTQA+ SI program aimed to mentor queer students.
“We have a lot of conversations and discussions about sex ed. in the community,” she said. “We learn a lot about what we probably should have learned a long time ago.”
Various speakers at the event encouraged students to register to vote as the deadline for registration is quickly approaching.
“It’s important for you, if you are of age, to vote because this is a very important election,” said Syimone. “I know they say this all the time, you always hear ‘this is the election of our generation.’ Well this one really is.”