On a snowy Saturday night at Whitman, Shante Thompson, also known by her stage name RosieGold, struts into Reid Ballroom with all of the confidence expected from a drag performer. Thompson, one of two emcees of Whitman’s annual Dragtastica event, enthusiastically tells the crowd: “This is probably the only time you’ll ever see me with a full face of makeup!”
Thompson and her fellow emcee Nash McFarlane, AKA Trash Talk, call each drag performer (the “Dragtastica monarchy”) onto stage one by one; each have their own entrance song. The crowd — so plentiful that there are not enough seats for everyone — comes alive with every new performance. After a short intermission, McFarlane and Thompson commence the open runway where any member of the audience can try their hand at a fashionable strut. Students and community members alike walk across the red carpet to Britney Spears’ “Work Bitch.” Some bring partners, others bring friends and all of them bring their own unique dance moves. Even a few kids run up to the stage, proudly carrying a trans flag.
Thompson says that this is her first time ever performing in drag. Members of the Cosmic Drag Collective, the Whitman club that organizes Dragtastica and recruits drag beginners and experts alike to perform, encouraged her to take the plunge and participate in Dragtastica. Thompson says performing is a great opportunity to express the quirkier side of her personality.
“I have felt very comfortable and safe in this community,” said Thompson.
This humble ballroom is a sanctuary for queer people and allies alike to appreciate the art of drag. Outside Reid, however, the art form may not be so safe.
Over the past several years, the Republican party has been waging a war on drag. This movement does not exist in a vacuum; the drag moral panic is one component of a far-right movement against LGBTQ+ people as a whole, particularly trans people. Between early 2022 and 2023, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found more than 160 protests and significant threats at drag events. Religious extremists, white supremacists and the Proud Boys alike have been the main instigators of these attacks.
Republican media outlets like Fox News and the Daily Wire, as well as social media accounts like LibsofTikTok, have instigated these attacks with an onslaught of violent rhetoric towards drag performers and trans people. This rhetoric accuses anyone deemed gender variant of corrupting and sexualizing children.
The fight against drag is also legislative. In 2024, the American Civil Liberties Union found 533 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S., with roughly 30 of these measures specifically targeting drag performances. Anti-drag legislation largely shares Republican media’s claims that drag performances are inherently sexual and a threat to minors. While almost every previous measure targeting drag performances has been struck down as unconstitutional, a culture of fear prevails.
Trump spent much of his 2024 campaign spouting rhetoric adopted from an extremist anti-gender ideology movement. Since taking office, Trump has lived up to his anti-trans promises. Trans women in federally funded schools have been banned from playing female sports. The federal government will only recognize male and female as valid sexes. Information on trans health issues has vanished from federal websites. Gender affirming care for those under 19 has lost federal funding and support. The Department of Defense is developing a new policy on trans service members, which could pave the way for an outright ban of trans people in the military. Trump has appointed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center, vowing to end drag performances held at the center.
Historically, drag performers and trans people have been at the forefront of activist movements. In the 1960s and 70s, Black and Latinx drag queens and trans people formed their own families with the creation of the house and ballroom culture. In the 80s, these same groups stood in solidarity with AIDS sufferers. Contemporary drag performers continue to be visible while in danger. The performers of Dragtastica are keeping this legacy of resistance and boundary-breaking alive.
“Art has always been a form of resistance, and drag is such a loud, expressive art. It tells everyone: We’re always gonna be here. We’re not going anywhere,” says Lady Circe, a Dragtastica performer.
Nash McFarlane, Dragtastica emcee and performer, says that this is a scary time to try out drag. They, however, appreciate that Dragtastica uplifts queer voices in a supportive community. McFarlane believes in being a role model for future generations.
“If I show that I can still be myself, even when times are scary, people in the future will be able to be themselves,” says McFarlane.
Lava Palafox, AKA Hua Wai Nui, meaning Juicy Fruit, says that in this turbulent landscape, he would likely not try drag outside of the Whitman bubble. Palafox questions whether drag is a form of resistance for him or simply a way to express himself in a new medium.
“If resisting is just being myself and having fun… and not being afraid to do it… then sure!” said Palafox.
M Acuff, an artist and professor who currently teaches the Queer Imaginaries GENS course, says that they subscribe to queer theory’s idea that because gender is performed we are always in drag. They appreciate that Dragtastica amplifies and celebrates this radical notion. While Acuff can sometimes feel despair at anti-gender extremism, they find hope in the creation of art.
“If a culture shrinks down or can’t imagine or is foreclosed upon… There is still something in the human essence that’s gonna come out, and it’s gonna come out often in these works of art that can be very powerful. It feels really important to attend to that,” said Acuff.
When I speak with Palafox, he makes it clear that the Cosmic Drag Collective is always looking for more members. The people’s runway will remain open, no matter the outside circumstances. Drag may be under attack, but as Thompson puts it: “Everyone obviously enjoys [drag performances], so why should we stop?”
