UW-Madison hosts 'Gothiqueer' prom & drag show

On Mar. 3, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) hosted a “Gothiqueer Pride Prom & Drag Show” open to the public and starring local drag performers. 

[RELATED: Students stage drag show in university affiliated church]

The event was co-sponsored by UW-Madison student groups Pride Society and Queer & Trans Engineers (QTE) at UW-Madison. 

In a campus-wide email obtained by Campus Reform, the Pride Society invited members of the UW-Madison community to a “night of euphoria, creativity, and a grim aesthetic.” 

“Bring your friends and partner(s), queer or allies … we will end the night with very special drag performances,” the email reads.

A flyer for the event obtained by Campus Reform shows two skeletons dancing near a grave, with a rainbow overhead. 

As seen in photos posted by student newspaper The Daily Cardinal, a wide array of students attended the event, even including some dressed as animals. 

Both the Pride Society and QTE are directly affiliated with the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center of UW-Madison.

[RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: University of Arkansas spends $10,000 in student fees on Zoom drag show]

Campus Reform spoke to a UW-Madison student, wishing to remain anonymous, who felt the presence of such an event on campus was inappropriate.

“Considering Madison is a public university funded by taxpayer dollars, it seems strange to use that money for what is effectively a sex show,” the student told Campus Reform. “Drag is not art, it is simply a sexual display, and it is intellectually dishonest to state otherwise.”

Campus Reform contacted all relevant parties listed for comment and will update this article accordingly.