8 1 The Blue Banner 1 3 J02011
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Rachael Fisher - Staff Photographer
This duo was joined by one other person for their performance of a
rockabilly song at the event last Friday.
Last Friday at Drag Ball, the amateur perforn
Drag Ball returns with new |
Auburn Petty
atpetty@unca.edu - Asst. A&F Editor
—- .«
Rachael Fisher - Staff Photographer
Some of the performances at drag ball were slightly risque. Some of the per
formers stripped down to their intimates for their routines.
Dressed in drag and ready to par
ty, members of the student orga
nization Alliance hosted their sec
ond annual Drag Ball last Friday.
“I feel like the purpose for the Drag
Ball is fun,” said Cristina Tiongson, one
of the emcees at the event. “Without a
doubt, there’s this amazing, safe and dy
namic space where people can perform,
be imaginative, work in and around the
context of gender and share in diverse per
formances based in pop culture or in the
exploration of that ‘deep, dark secret.’”
Caroline Wilson, one of the chairs of
Alliance, said the group decided to host
another Drag Ball this year because the
event was so much fun last year.
Wilson also said this year’s event
was more successful than last year’s.
“It was (more successful) in the sense
that, at least from my perspective, there
was a lot more interaction between par
ticipants and performers, and a lot of the
people in the audience came from a broad
er spectrum,” Wilson said. “For me, that’s
successful because that generates conver
sations and it builds community, and it’s
just more fun when you’re not just havi
an event for the group. It was really just
everybody who wanted to be involve!
Brennen Bear, one of the perform*
at the Drag Ball and an active memb
in Alliance, said Alliance’s purpose is a
ceptance and raising awareness.
“1 think the main purpose (of Allian
is to create a safe environment here
campus through raising awareness on
BTQQIAA issues,” Bear said.
LGBTQQIAA is an acronym for 1
bian, gay, bisexual, transgendered
transsexual, queer, questioning, inters
ual, asexual and allies, according to V
son. She said there are other variations
the acronym, but they are all acceptab
Wilson said the money donated at t
event went to the local group Youth 0
Right.
“(It’s) a group in town that serves V'
BTQ youth from about age 13 or 14 alH'
way up to 24 throughout Western Nof
Carolina. A lot of those youth are peo{|
who don’t have access to a (gay-straig
alliance) type program or organizati'
wherever they are,” Wilson said.
However, Wilson said she thin
the point of the event was
just to raise money for the grot