South Carolina holds Garden of Eden-themed drag show
Students were encouraged to bring $1 bills to tip contestants, who were judged on how much money they raised.
The winner, Ebony Would, is guaranteed a spot in the university's biggest drag show, The Birdcage.
The University of South Carolina (USC) recently held its annual “Ms. Gaymecock Pageant” where students competed for the title of best amateur drag queen and a guaranteed spot in USC’s biggest drag show, The Birdcage.
The winner of the contest, Ms. Gaymecock Ebony Would, told the Daily Gamecock that, “[t]his is the single most important thing I can do for my community.”
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“Drag queens are role models, entertainers, and they challenge social stigmas,” Would said.
Students were encouraged to bring plenty of $1 bills to the Garden of Eden-themed show as contestants were judged on the amount of money they raised in tips, according to the Facebook event page.
"Contestants will tap into the spirit of human desire and the paradisiacal image of the Garden of Eden to put on a show that you won't forget,” the Eventbrite page read.
The Ms. Gaymecock pageant cost $200 to host, according to Devon Sherrell, GBLSA president, but it raised over $1,700 for USC's Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Straight Alliance (BGLSA). The student group hosts other events besides the Birdcage drag show, such as National Coming Out Day, which are funded by student government fees.
"The best thing about drag is that it is a uniquely LGBT art form that everybody can enjoy and appreciate,” Sherrell told Campus Reform.
The event was held at PT’s 1109, a local gay bar, and emceed by the BGLSA’s former adviser and current drag queen, Patti O’Furniture, host of Drag Brunch.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @LaurenACooley
