As a kick off to national coming out week, the Temple University Wellness Resource Center presented their fifth annual drag show Monday night.
The drag show was the first of five events that are part of National Coming Out Week.
“It’s very celebratory,” says Rodney Pratt, director of the drag show. “It allows them to express themselves in a way that is not otherwise promoted every day.”
The drag show provides students with an outlet to dance, vogue and role play. The show, which is in its fifth year, has become a way for students to express themselves without gender roles.
Despite the fact the Temple Performing Arts center was packed, there is still a lot of work to be done in regards to acceptance of the LGBTQ community.
As Sheena Sood, Gender and Sexuality Inclusion Graduate Extern, explains, “we as a society still have a long way to go in terms of really taking steps to make our campus more inclusive and sometimes that’s at the structural level, not just at the individual level,”
Though the drag show and other NCOW events accommodate the LGBTQ community at Temple, students should become more aware of the obstacles that LGBTQ students face on a day to day basis.
“Even with Temple’s student government, if members of the student government took it on as their responsibility, even if they aren’t queer identifying, to make sure inclusivity is part of their strategy,” Sood said.
The wellness resource will provide an event each day during coming out week. Following Monday’s drag show the resources center will provide an alumni panel and dialog on Tuesday, a networking event with faculty and staff on Wednesday, an open mic. on Thursday, and finally, NCOW Fest that will take place on Friday.
For more information on the Wellness Resource Center and the NCOW events, follow the links below.
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