Drinking, dancing detract from event’s serious message

Men in dresses and women sporting usually male-associated clothing flocked to Reid Campus Center on Friday night to celebrate Dragfest. Dragfest is a dance party, the last event of drag week: an attempt to familiarize students with what it means to be transgender and to raise awareness about issues surrounding transgender people and those that dress in drag.

Other events during Drag Week included a make-up session that was poorly attended and a transgender panel that took place on Tuesday night. While the dance can be a great way for students to begin the weekend, there are students that have objections to the concept or presentation of the dance party.

“The dance seems to be great fun for everyone. My point hinges on the fact that there’s a political goal involved.” -Alex Falcone

“The dance seems to be great fun for everyone. My point hinges on the fact that there’s a political goal involved,” said Alex Falcone, senior. Some students expressed that the ability of the dance party to raise awareness of the students on this issue is very low.
“I think the fact that it’s a drinking and a dancing party takes away from any political point you could possibly make. I think Drag Day would be a lot more effective,” said Falcone.

Some students believe that the dance party is just an excuse for people to get drunk and wear revealing clothing, making a parody out of the whole concept behind the dance. In order to have a more successful week during which students reflect on issues of transgender people, Kyle Martz suggested that more attention be paid to the activities other than the dance. In an e-mail, Martz said he is “a major advocate of a strong emphasis on the events leading up to the dance party itself.”