Student and local drag queens performed to help raise money for hunger relief in Gaza.
Gabriela Griggs
AC&T Editor
On Thursday, March 26, students filled Dina’s Place to watch “Drag4Justice,” a drag show organized by Winthrop’s Students for Justice. The performance was also in collaboration with Winthrop’s Muslim Student Association to raise money for the Zakat Foundation of America, which contributes to hunger relief in Gaza.
Two of the performing queens are both current Winthrop students. Sophomore Dee Ateca, performed as Dee Formed, and sophomore Pat Fleming, performed as Dytie King. Drag, for both students, has become a way for them to build community and gives them a space to develop their own art.
“Over the last year I have absolutely fallen in love with drag as an art form, through watching local drag, TV and, of course, developing my own drag style. I wanted to bring my passion and the passion of other performers to the campus community so maybe we can help someone fall in love with the art form just as much as we are. As much as I love shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, Dragula, King of Drag, etc., they can’t compare to a live drag experience,” Ateca said.
“I’ve always loved showing my creativity to other people and drag is my way of expressing [that] creativity,” Fleming said.
Alongside Dee Formed and Dytie King, three other Charlotte area queens were a part of Drag4Justice: Winthrop alum Rebecca Stardust, Leonasia Chanel and local Jade Envy. All participating queens donated half of their tips from the event to the Zakat Foundation.
“Since queer identity has historically been very politicized/systemically oppressed, I think that it’s really important for us as drag performers to fight for and speak out about important political and social issues,” Ateca said.
Following the funding cuts towards the DiGiorgio Student Union, an annual drag event hosted on campus known as “DragWU” was noticeably absent from the events planned for this academic year. Instead, it became up to student efforts to make sure there was room for a drag show.
“I absolutely think drag has a place on this campus. Though, I feel for many students that this interest often starts and ends with drag that appears on TV, so I wanted to help bring local drag to the forefront. I [also] wanted these talented students and alumni to really get to showcase their work!” Ateca said.
“I think drag does have a place on this campus, especially in this climate of people trying to bring down drag as an art form. Drag itself, as an art form, is so versatile that there is some form of drag out there for anyone,” Fleming said.
The performances ranged from high energy dance numbers to more emotional performances to slow songs, such as Ethel Cain’s “Family Tree” and Laufey’s “Goddess.” Within the range of performances, there was something for everyone.
For many students, this was their first experience with a drag performance. This makes the performance special for not only those in the audience, but also for the queens performing.
“Performing for my classmates and peers is really exciting. It allows for all of my friends, acquaintances and friendly faces around campus to really get to know my art and performing style. I know a few people who have never seen me perform in drag before will be coming to the show so I’m really hoping I’m able to truly shock, gag and impress them with what I do!” Ateca said.
“Performing in front of my classmates absolutely changes the experience. I love that, after the performance, I get compliments from people around me who I see everyday,” Fleming said.
By giving students a place on campus to explore with performing, it allows them to develop their own skills, perfect their art and take creative risks.
“Performing on campus allows me to play with my drag in a different way than I usually do. Part of the picking out what you’re going to do for performances as a drag artist is knowing your audience. So far, I’ve been able to perform for older queer adults and more alternative young adults, but being able to perform here on campus means I’m performing primarily for my peers, which allows me to really try out new things. Part of college is figuring out who you are… and, for me, that includes who I am as a drag queen,” Ateca said.
“At the end of the day, I am a performer. I recently switched my major to theatre tech because I love making things but also I love being able to showcase and make things for performances. I, as a drag artist, love doing every aspect of my art,” Fleming said.
Drag4Justice helped fill the space left by DragWU and fuel interest in the art within students. The performance reminds attendees that this type of show will always find a way to be held on campus, funding aside, and continues to inspire students to be creative, hone their personal art and collaborate.
