On Valentine’s Day, Wonderland came crashing onto FIU’s MMC campus! Co-sponsored by the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (CWGS) and created by the queer studies certificate program, FIU’s WST 3641: LGBT+ and Beyond had their very first drag show experience on campus. “Queen of Hearts” was coordinated by Dr. Justin Grant, associate director of writing and rhetoric and director of the queer studies program, along with his interns, Marcel Hartley and Joey Gebella (also known by their drag persona, “Daphne Lux”).
Daphne hosted the show in AHC4 101 and Marcel served as the D.J. The line-up included local Miami queens: Hope Hillcum, Juanita Labanjee, Mosaic, Barbitchuates and Opal Am Rah. Each queen dominated the stage with their own acts, lipsyncing to popular songs such as Ariana Grande’s “Seven Rings,” Gloria Estefan’s “Wepa” and Bonnie Tyler’s “I Need a Hero.”
The event concluded with a roundtable discussion with the queens about their motivations for doing drag, their participation in the LGBT+ community and what drag means to them on a personal level.
“The event transformed the classroom into a queer performance space where everyone in attendance became an active participant. It was so rewarding to create such an inclusive environment. I’m looking forward to putting on more Queer Studies events in the future.
Dr. Grant
Be sure to follow them on Instagram @FIUQueerStudies.
