Rainbow Alliance Drag Show | Photo by Kay Bell | The Wright State Guardian
Rainbow Alliance, a club for LGBTQA+ students on Wright State University’s campus, hosted a drag show where attendees spoke about current anti-LGBTQA+ legislation.
Drag show
On Saturday, April 8, Rainbow Alliance hosted its annual drag show in the Student Union Apollo Room.
The show featured drag queens Blueberry Mary and Jaraje as hosts. The Rainbow Alliance executive board also put on a performance at the show.
The contributors raised over $650 for the WSU LGBTQA+ scholarship.
Legislation
Throughout the event, attendees and hosts provided opinions on current legislation affecting the LGBTQA+ community.
The president of Rainbow Alliance, Alex Stone, explained that Senate Bill 83 states that whenever a controversial topic is discussed, the other side must be present.
“Senate Bill 83 would directly affect me and Rainbow Alliance. We wouldn’t be able to exist,” Stone said.
According to Stone, who went over the bill with Jill Sink in Student Legal Services, the bill bans any sort of financial benefit that separates one out by race, class, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity. This would get rid of certain scholarships, including the one Rainbow Alliance raises money for through the drag show each year.
Other concerns
Gail and Addison Webb, both outreach coordinators for the Hope Collective Church and alumni of WSU, helped Rainbow Alliance during the event.
Both coordinators expressed that certain anti-LGBTQA+ bills can affect so many people.
“It could be someone [policy makers] know, it could be a family member that they just alienated,” Gail Webb said.
Addison Webb concluded that this could make people never come out due to added fear of lack of acceptance.
“We want to make sure people know that there are people out there who care about them exactly where they are at that moment in their lives, that they don’t have to jump through any hoops to be loved,” Addison Webb said.
For more information about Rainbow Alliance, the LGBTQA Center and identity resources, visit the LGBTQA Center webpage, part of the Wright State University Division of Inclusive Excellence website.
