The atmosphere at the Pride Club’s annual Drag Ball on Oct. 26. radiated positivity and inclusivity.

With about 100 students in attendance, everyone who walked through the doors of Alumni Hall was greeted with smiles and high-energy music. Students buzzed with excitement over each other’s makeup and costumes, eager to see the performance ahead. 

 Nova LaPointe, president of the Pride Club, directed drag queens toward the dressing room and filled attendees in on the night’s activities.  

 LaPointe said there is an importance to the role that the Pride Club plays in the LGBTQ community on campus. LaPointe said for a lot of young people, college signifies a newfound freedom to reinvent themselves and express who they want to be.  

“A lot of the time, it’s the first time they’re figuring out they’re queer,” LaPointe said. “It’s a good, easy community to find support and make queer friends on campus.”  

Frankie M. Cyanide, a professional drag king and the master of ceremonies for the night, entered the stage to “Lay All Your Love On Me,” covered by Brian David Gilbert, originally written by ABBA. He set the bar high for the other kings and queens as the room erupted in cheers and students clapped along to the beat of the music. 

“More and more people are attending drag events on college campuses,” Cyanide said. 

 During one performance, Joe Zee, a CCSU alum and drag king, ran through the audience with a can of whipped cream, spraying it into the mouths of students as “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” by Def Leppard blared through the speakers. The crowd couldn’t get enough with students all around opening their mouths for a quick sugar rush.  

 Cathel Leone, Pride Club’s event coordinator, said that the Drag Ball has been a popular event for the last few years. Throughout each semester, the club hosts other events like Queer Prom in the Spring, movie screenings, and LGBTQ speakers.  

“There’s usually a lot of positivity, which is great, and I like to see,” Leone said. “And we usually get a good amount of people, too.”   

Felicity V. Lay, a professional drag queen, expressed her joy over how many people showed up to support drag and how much it means to her. Lay dressed head to toe in black and red, complete with spiked platform heels, had no trouble executing summersaults and high kicks as she weaved through the tables full of students. 

 “It’s amazing,” Lay said. “Being able to have a space for everyone to enjoy a queer art form is just amazing.” 

 Drag isn’t just about dressing as the opposite sex or taking on a new persona. It’s a community of people gathering to bear witness to another’s self-expression, Lay said. For some, it means the world is opening to new possibilities, Lay said. 

There was no shortage of inclusivity and acceptance at the Drag Ball. Students got on stage and danced to ABBA during intermission, encouraging each other to strut down the runway and show off their best moves. Professional and student queens cheered them on from the crowd and everyone was in high spirits. 

The New Element Majorette Dance Team also appeared, moving perfectly in sync to a hip-hop mashup.   

Other queens that performed were CCSU students who performed to NYMPHOLOGY by Melanie Martinez and a remix of Higher by VINCENT.  

 Zaine, Desdemonna Bella Donna, Transmania and Lioness all took the stage. In total four student queens and one alumnus each performed.  

Other professional queens included Arya Black and Crystal Starz, both of whom dazzled the audience in a whirlwind of glitter and splits.  

In addition to the drag performance, students were encouraged to grab something to eat and get their photo taken to be put on customized mugs, framed with the words “Drag Ball,” in pink cursive. 

As drag shows increase in popularity, they can be found every week at colleges, breweries, restaurants and coffee shops according to Google and Facebook events pages. 

The Pride Club meets every Tuesday at 7:30 P.M. in the Philbrick Room of the Student Center. Anyone who needs support is encouraged to attend. 

“We’re here for people,” LaPointe said. “It’s a great way to meet other queer people on campus.”