All pride and no prejudice
By: Alaina Tepper, Staff Writer
Towson’s In the Life celebrated 10 years of drag shows on campus Thursday, April 7. In the Life is a student group that focuses on LGBTQIA people of color and meets every Thursday in the Center for Student Diversity.
The show was held in the Chesapeake Ballrooms and helped raise money for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland. Clothing donations were also accepted.
The show featured many performers including Anita Minett, who has performed in drag for 14 years and has made a name for herself within the Baltimore drag community, even hosting a pre-show to Baltimore Pride 2014.
The event wasn’t just for the professionals—it also featured student performers like Foxy McFly, better known as freshman sociology major Ashley Baker.
This show was Baker’s first time performing as a drag king, and her routine was based off of Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk.” Parts of Baker’s performance were even featured on Snapchat as part of Towson’s campus story.
“I’m going try to just be cool, have fun and feed off energy from the crowd,” Baker said.
Baker wasn’t the only participant making a first-time appearance. The event’s hostess and event coordinator Pariah Sinclair, otherwise known as junior advertising and PR major Ryan Levine, made her debut as well.
“When I was a freshman and I wasn’t out yet, I saw the show and was like ‘this is amazing’… I want to do that,’” Levine said.
In The Life’s drag show gives an opportunity for students and professionals alike to express themselves in a way like no other.
“It’s all about an art form,” performer and former Miss Charm City Triple Threat Sarabesque said. “I’m always an artistic person and I’ve always been a dancer, so that’s kind of what my drag is based off of.”
In addition to expression and fun, drag is also about community. While getting ready for the show, the performers shared jokes, tips and even outfit ideas with each other.
“I don’t know if you guys know who Anastasia Belladonna is, but that’s my supposed drag mother,” Sarabesque said.
Also continuing the tradition of the drag family, hostess and performer Shawnna Alexander introduced performers Smooth and Delicious as her children.
The show ended with recognition and a thunderous round of applause for each of the night’s performers and a promise to continue the tradition with another show next semester.