By Danica Ward
Staff Writer
The College’s oldest gender and sexuality alliance, Prism, hosted its annual drag show in the Brower Student Center on April 7.
Although this event is put on every spring semester, this year’s event was even more special, as it is Prism’s 50th anniversary as an organization. As 50 years ago was 1976, the student alliance chose a groovy disco theme for this year’s celebration. BSC 100 was decorated with balloons, flower power streamers and fun graphics on the projector screen.
This year’s charity was the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, a local Princeton institution that acts as a safe-space and activism hub for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Throughout the event, a money basket was paraded around for cash donations, while a Venmo code was shown on screen so attendees could donate.
Returning queens Lady Celestina, Mona Little and Angelique emceed and entertained the crowd, who were set up around a platformed stage with a catwalk. The queens interacted with the audience, performed their own numbers and helped gather monetary donations for the charity.
In addition to the professional drag queens present at the show, there were also many student performers who dressed in their own drag personas and strutted their stuff. The two-hour event was filled with comedy, fashion, music and an overall appreciation and pride for the art form that is drag.
Senior biology major, Sarah Neil, helped open the show, as the second student performer of the night. Going by the name Romeo, Neil has performed at every drag show since their freshman year, giving them an opportunity to showcase their drag king persona.
When talking about the impacts and importance of Prism’s event, Neil said, “It really does mean a lot to me in that it has provided me a space, and I think a lot of other students a space where you can really express yourself in a way that only drag allows you to do.”
Along with the org’s events being accessible to college students of all grades, not just those 21+, it allows all demographics to experiment and step into their own identities.
“Art is queer,” Neil stated. “The best way to understand a group of people's perspective is to see the art that they create, because it is the truest expression of themselves.”
Lady Celestina entertains the crowd. (Photo courtesy of Nick DeCesare)
Freshman clinical mental health counseling major and Prism community engagement chair, Ollie Rodriguez, mused about their involvement in the event, which included helping set up and take down the decorations as well as escorting the queens around campus.
They also took the time to describe what the show meant to them. “Artistic expression is so important because LGBTQ+ people are often overshadowed and told they are too much,” Rodriguez said. “The safe space that art creates for queer people is vital to both making them feel seen and increasing acceptance in our society.”
As this month is “Gaypril,” Rodriguez stated that there’s many more events from Prism to come over the course of the month. On April 16, there is a film screening of “Strange World,” a landmark movie containing a biracial and gay protagonist. On April 24, Prism will also be holding “Big Gay Wedding,” which they describe as “a fake wedding officiated by a drag queen and students are welcome to marry whoever they want!” The club will also be traveling to the New Jersey Queer and Trans Market on April 26.
