'Drag Brunch' hosted in front of chapel at historically Christian university

Trinity University, a historically Christian institution in Texas, recently hosted a “drag brunch.” The April 28 event was co-sponsored by the PRIDE student group and the Student Programming Board.

Controversy surrounded the event due to its being held in front of the campus’s Margarite B. Parker Chapel, a place of religious worship. 

The event included performances from local drag queens who danced to provocative music in raunchy costumes beneath a statue of Jesus.

[RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: ASU spent $5k on Viva La Drag performance]

According to student-run newspaper The Tower News, controversy over the event “began to develop on TU snaps, the Trinity student snapchat group, after an anonymous user posted concern over the choice of location.”

”Any opinions from anonymous students speaking out against the disrespect for the chapel were insulted on the Snapchat page, a hostility toward alternative viewpoints that illustrates a concerning trend in higher education,” The Tower News went on to relay. 

In an April 30 Instagram post after the event, PRIDE president “Vex” addressed questions and concerns regarding the drag brunch.

One question addressed was why the group chose the chapel and if it was “a bit disrespectful.” PRIDE defended its decision to use the chapel courtyard by arguing that it was the “best location” since it provided “ample space for tables, food, and ... performers.” 

”[T]he Chapel courtyard was the ideal place for our event (even though the cobblestones were a bit hard to walk on in stilettos. Props to our wonderful performers!),” the group went on to state.

The post also declared that drag is “not inherently anti-religious,” citing the example of the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” a group that, according to its website, are a “leading-edge Order of queer and trans nuns.” The group, however, is not an official religious order of any church, and describes itself as simply using “humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit.”

[RELATED: University of Arizona prof performs drag for kids]

In the comment section of PRIDE’s Instagram post, the group wrote that “any hateful comments will be deleted and the user’s account will be blocked.” It continued by stating that it will not give “bigots” a “voice” on its platform. 

The drag performers also used the inside of the chapel to change into their costumes and do their makeup, according to The Tower News. 

Campus Reform reached out to all relevant parties for comment and will update accordingly.