Baton Rouge queens were brought together for a show-stopping performance right on the University’s campus, and there was no wig left unsnatched.
The Louisiana Queer Conference held its first drag show for the Queer After Party at the French House, and it drew in a diverse crowd. The celebration was focusing on celebrating to LGBTQ community, not only on the University’s campus but all across the state of Louisiana.
The LAQC is an annual LGBTQ event put on by Spectrum, Queer Students of Color (Qroma) and the LSU Office of Multicultural Affairs. The LAQC allows students across the state to discuss ideas and collaborate on projects, while establishing a network to support and advance the LGBTQ movement.
“LAQC is intended to provide community-building and educational resources for Louisiana’s LGBTQ community as these are often inaccessible for most queer people,” said Jack Stallard, who hosted the show under his drag persona Carina Von Tuna. “This year, we decided to have a drag show rather than a regular after party because our theme was focused on celebrating our presence and imagining our future as a community made up of creative minds.”
The atmosphere of the drag show was just as positive as the message behind the event. There were students from the University there to support, and even some guests from outside the city. People were there to celebrate love, life and their presence, which made for an electrifying show.
The headlining queens were Chanell La’Sha, Sasha Vanguard, Scarlett Diore and London Manchester, along with the host Carina Von Tuna. Each queen brought something different to the show, allowing for a variety in music and fun.
Marketing and mass communication sophomore Sarah LaBorde said she was just there to support but still really enjoyed the show. She, along with others, spent the night watching and cheering on the queens as they did what they do best.
“Just the queens were all so talented and it was really awesome to see so much support and positivity for all the performers,” LaBorde said. “It was a good time.”
Another student in attendance was finance freshman Janae Kilgore. She said this was the first event she attended on campus that showcased the LGBTQ community and said it’s because she never heard about any events like this. Kilgore also said she would enjoy more events like these on campus.
“I have not been to an event like this on this campus and I have never heard about events like this unfortunately,” Kilgore said. “I thought the show was very exciting and entertaining. I enjoyed it and I thought it was awesome.”
Students can find out about more LGBTQ events put on by Spectrum by visiting their website or following them on social media. Representation is important for every community, and Spectrum is one of the few organizations on campus to offer this to the LGBTQ community.
“I don’t feel like there is a lot of representation for the LGBTQ community sometimes, and I think that’s sad because events like these are really fun, and I really enjoyed myself,” Kilgore said. “It was really cool to go out to a different event that LSU got to host.”
Drag queen London Manchester performs at LAQC's Queer After Party in the LSU French House on Saturday, April 14, 2018.
