After months of planning, drag queens and kings took over Wayne State on Wednesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. in the Frey Conference room. The Drag Show is a yearly event that is put on by PRIDE and helped raise money for a family with both parents diagnosed with cancer.

The Drag Show contained multiple performances by two kings and five queens, who dressed up as the opposite gender of what they identify as. They then lip-synched and danced to a song of their choosing to entertain the audience.

“Drag is like my creative outlet,” said Queen Avii Kennedy, a Wayne State alumna. “I was never able to do theater in school, so when I found [drag] I fell in love because I was able to just create and be emotional and make people happy.”

A theme is created each year and this year was “Drag through the Decades,” where the performers danced to throwback songs. While they performed, students would tip them in order to donate to the family that was selected beforehand.

“I love coming back here because I love being a part of our youths’ lives,” King Matthew Steele said. “I feel like it’s important to instill the values, and understanding that you can go out and be yourself and have a great time and love life.”

The night started off with multiple performances until the emcee, Anita Bisquette, came on stage. She would talk between performances while the next entertainer got ready. To keep the crowd invested, she made sexual jokes or comments to spark laughter.

“When it comes to drag, always keep an open mind,” Queen Jackie Oh Kennedy said. “Everyone has different points of views and you might not fully agree with those points of views, but when you take the time, you get to understand them.”

Halfway through the show, there was an intermission where Active Minds had everyone join a Kahoot! game about the LGBTQ+ community. The winners received shirts and the Active Minds President explained what the club was. When the show started again, student performer Miss Marie Williams was on stage first.

“I wanted to do this because I’m kind of tired of hiding in the closet,” Marie Williams said. “It was nerve wracking, but I decided tonight I’m going to kick down that closet door, and here I am.”

As the show came to an end, the emcee announced that it was the PRIDE Advisor’s birthday. Everyone in the room sang to her and she stood up. PRIDE President Allison Lambert also thanked everyone after the show finished and informed them about being able to take pictures with any of the performers.