Editor's note: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of drag queen and senior fashion merchandising major Ryne Bulington. The story has been changed to reflect that correction.
Saturday night was filled with excitement and congeniality, with flags representing different sexual orientations and gender identities decorating Ball Gym as drag show performers took to the stage with their sparkling costumes and attendees tipping their favorite performers in support of the LGBTQ community.
Spectrum organized the space-themed Gaylactic Drag Show April 6 with performances by drag queens and kings from Ball State and the Muncie community.
Money raised at the event would benefit the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), a group focusing on transgender people in underprivileged communities.
Rhinestone performed several numbers during Spectrum's Gaylactic Drag Show Saturday night at Ball Gym. All money raised at the event will be given to the National Center for Transgender Equality. Chase Martin, DN
Brooklyn Arizmendi, Spectrum president, shared her support for the cause and said supporting NCTE is a “big deal.”
“We want to make sure that our trans friends are safe and being provided resources,” Arizmendi said.
This isn’t the first time Spectrum’s semi-annual drag show raised money for charity. The Ball State organization raised more than $1,500 for the local nonprofit LGBTQ youth group Muncie OUTreach in its last show.
“Impacting our community is really something that is important to us,” said drag queen and senior fashion merchandising major Ryne Bulington.
In their shiny bodysuit, Bulington participated as one of the performers, but their work didn’t stop there. Between performances, they judged and helped organize the event alongside several others.
The show featured a different layout that accentuated the intergalactic theme. Bulington said the show added small stages to make a layout that was cooler for the audience to see.
“We figured out how to have more stages around so our queens could interact more with the audience,” Bulington said.
Drag queen Gigi Mayonae shows off her intergalactic look in between acts at Spectrum's Gaylactic Drag Show Saturday night at Ball Gym. This year's show implemented several small stages along with the larger one. Chase Martin, DN
Kelsey Justice, freshman literature major, judged the event and mentioned that she was impressed by the performers.
For the Ball State and Muncie community, the show serves as an introduction to the world of the LGBTQ community, Justice said.
“Seeing so many people coming out and supporting that, it's a big motivator to keep doing the show,” Justice said. “It’s just an event that brings the community together.
Contact Chase Martin with comments at cgmartin@bsu.edu.
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