Here are the colleges hosting Drag Bingo this spring

Drag Bingo nights on college campuses feature drag queens entertaining audiences with content tailored to the LGBT community. 

Below is a rundown of drag Bingo nights occurring this semester at American universities. 

On Apr. 7, the University of Akron hosted its “History of Drag BINGO,” which featured Dr. Lady J, a “non-binary trans woman who is the world’s first drag queen with a PhD specialization in drag performance history.”

The drag queen also serves as the “official Historian for the Austin International Drag Festival” and creator of the podcast “Untucking the Past,” which “explores drag history through an intersectional lens.”

The University of North Florida (UNF) hosted “Drag Bingo at the Boathouse” night on Mar. 31. This event was co-sponsored by the UNF LGBTQ Center and “Osprey Life & Productions,” which is sponsored by Student Affairs. 

Program Assistant for UNF’s LGBTQ Resource Center Haiden Baier told Campus Reform that “this event has [not] happened before on campus.” 

“Generally we do a drag show but this year it was decided to go with bingo instead (I’m not 100% sure why other than it’s more interactive,” he said.

Baier continued, “The purpose of the event is not only to normalize the LGBTQ+ community being out and open and themselves but also to provide a fun escape for student to spend some time having fun!”

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The event’s description states that students would have the opportunity to “win prizes, enjoy a show and good music” and “free food.” Facebook pictures posted from the event also show drag queen Karrissa Wade carrying a rainbow flag that reads “SAY GAY.” 

The flag refers to Florida’s House Bill 1557, called “Parental Rights in Education,” but opponents overwhelmingly refer to it as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill.”

Wade’s Instagram profile shows that he often does bingo events at local restaurants and bars in the North Florida area. Graphics posted on his account advertised his “naughty” bingo events every other Sunday in St. Augustine, and “risque bingo“ events on first Tuesdays in Jacksonville Beach. 

The University Programs Council and Queer Student Union at the University of Virginia (UVA) teamed up to sponsor their school’s “Drag Bingo” event. UVA’s event took place on Mar. 25 in the Newcomb Ballroom on campus, and featured live “drag performances.” 

Wayne State University’s Alumni Association hosted its “Drag Queen Bingo” night on Apr. 5 over Zoom. The event website invited students to join the organization for a night of “laughter, games and prizes with our fabulous host Alyssa Edwards.” 

Edwards was a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race as well as the “All Stars” version of the show, and he also has an official Netflix docuseries called “Dancing Queen.” 

Sonoma State University will hold its Drag Bingo event on April 28, and this event will take place both virtually and in person. Drag queen Dusty Ray Bottoms, or Dustin Rayburn, will be hosting Sonoma’s event.

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The event description states that it is only open to students and they will have a chance to ask Dustin questions, but “green wellness clearance” is required. 

Previous drag bingo nights at Sonoma State have featured multiple other drag queens, including “Cynthia Lee Fontaine,” “Alexis Michelle,” and “Honey Davenport.”

The University of Missouri - St. Louis will host its “Mirthweek Drag Bingo“ virtual event on Apr. 29. This event will be hosted by “Eureka O’Hara,” who has been featured on Rupaul’s Drag Race and the HBO series We’re Here.

However, the University’s event description calls the show “We’re Home.” 

HBO’s We’re Here follows three drag queens as they recruit “local residents to participate in one-night-only drag shows and inspir[e] their ‘drag kids’ to express their genuine selves in front of their families, friends, and communities.” 

The description further states that “Bob, Eureka, and Shangela help their pupils unleash their inner drag queens” and celebrate “individuality and self-acceptance through the transformative power of drag.”

The University of Texas at Austin and SUNY Morrisville have hosted drag bingo events in the past year, as well. 

Campus Reform has reached out to each party mentioned in this article and it will be updated accordingly.