A public Massachusetts university has held a “Drag Bingo” and “Drag Story Hour” event as part of its celebration of “LGBTQ+ History Month.”
Fitchburg State University’s “LGBTQ+ History Month Drag Bingo” was scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 30 and was sponsored by the Gay Straight Alliance.
“Fitchburg State University is committed to creating and fostering an inclusive campus environment,” Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs Matthew Bruun told Campus Reform. “In that spirit, this event was created by the organizers of our campus observance of LGBTQ History Month, and the university supports space for such expression.”
An event description notes that the event would feature drag performers Victoria Obvious and Ariel Monroe.
A Facebook page for Obvious says that the individual is a “Pride Queen,” and was previously “Miss Royal Beauty International PLUS 2020” and “Miss Gay Worcester 2016.”
“I was 16 when I kind of figured I wanted to do drag. I kind of figured a lot of these queens are using drag as their voice, as their platform for getting things done,” the performer said in an interview for The Worcester Telegram & Gazette in 2018. “I wanted to use drag to bring the community together and to grow the gay community in Worcester. To create a more connected younger gay community.”
Monroe, whose real name is Stephen Popek, reportedly served in the military and competed in “Miss Gay Oklahoma.”
Before their bingo appearance at Fitchburg State, the performers also held a “Drag Story Hour” for one hour, during which they “read a selection of children’s books”; the event was also sponsored by the Gay Straight Alliance.
According to its description, the Gay Straight Alliance “is for people of any and all sexual orientations and genders who are searching for a fully inclusive and supportive environment.”
Earlier this month, the University of Oklahoma’s Queer Student Association sponsored a drag performance featuring “internationally recognized drag queens.”
California State University, Monterey Bay also recently offered a “Werk Witch Drag Show,” which was described as “an intersectional drag show that encourages drag queens, kings, and non-binary performers to let their brilliance and diva shine bright like a diamond.”
Campus Reform contacted Fitchburg State University and the Gay Straight Alliance for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was written by Brendan McDonald and originally published at campusreform.org
