The LGBTQ+ Experience, a student organization on campus, recently hosted their first inaugural drag show. The show featured a trio of drag queens and kings as well as one of Loyola’s very own students.
This was the university’s very first drag show which featured performances from members of Absolutely Dragulous Brunch. The queens in attendance were Dustyn Dawn and Chanel Belladonna. King Baphomette also made an appearance.
Absolutely Dragulous is a Maryland-based drag company started by queen Dustyn Dawn. The show performs across the DMV with a rotating cast of several performers, as stated by Dustyn Dawn on their website.
A Loyola drag show has been in the works for many months. Jujuan Lawson ‘25 shared what he wanted the campus community to gain from this experience.
“We want students to have a firm understanding of the importance of the LGBT community, and the beauty and strength that we embody in our presence on campus. This is a chance for the entire campus to become a part of something beautiful,” Lawson said.
The event had an array of drag-themed mocktails and sweets for attendants. As the show began, we were greeted by the host, Pro-he-bitchin, who is a queen from the Loyola Community. Tips from the crowd were encouraged throughout the queens’ performances.
After seeing performances from Dustyn Dawn, Chanel Belladonna and Baphomette, the performers and host sat down for a Q&A. Questions were gathered through a form on the LGBTQ+ Experience instagram story.
Tickets for the show were limited and sold out quickly. Those who were late to register for seats were put onto a waiting list until notified of available seating at the event.
“We had 75 tickets, and they got sold within minutes. We increased the venue to 25 more seats, which got filled up immediately. People are excited for this, they love this, they want this to be a part of their campus and their culture,” Lawson said.
Cole Djondo ‘26 is a member of the LGBTQ+ executive board explained the work put into the drag event and its importance of bringing it to campus.
“It took a lot of planning to get this through student life, but we are really happy to have Loyola’s support and to have the monetary support to pull this all off, and the man-power to pull this all off. We are ecstatic about this event,” Djondo said.
Lawson said, “People are experiencing new aspects of cultures they might not necessarily know, or they might not be a part of and part of acceptance, part of diversity, equity and inclusion is presence, having visibility on campus. I hope to see a shift in culture after this event, but I’m also seeing a shift in culture now, which is something I’m so excited for.”
Loyola’s LGBTQ+ Experience brought a new and improved view to drag for Loyola students, and captured the importance of inclusivity with the start of this event.
For more information on LGBTQ campus events, follow the LGBT Experience on Instagram. For information on Absolutely Dragulous, visit their website Drag Brunch – Absolutely Dragulous. The queens and kings can be found on Instagram as well, Dustyn Dawn (@dustyndawn), Chanel Belladonna (@chanelbelladonna) and Baphomette (@thebaphomette).
