With glitter, glam and more than a few pink wigs, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Alliance annual drag show started out with a bang Saturday. The show, which ran from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., included more than 30 student performers and Murray Hill, a professional drag king and comedian from New York.
The theme of this year’s drag show was “Bent.”
“Bent is all about questioning gender,” LGBTQA Co-Director Johnny Correa said. “The word itself is a representation of the way nothing is always as straightforward as people want to believe it is.”
“Last year with ‘Sizzle!,’ the theme of the show was flamboyance,” Crystal Cathcart, co-director of the LGBTQA and director of the show, said. “This year we want to challenge the audience and make things more political.”
The show started off with a carefully choreographed rendition of Madonna’s “Human Nature” by LGBTQA members before Hill took the stage.

Hill, also known as “Mr. Showbiz,” regaled audience members with jokes, songs and a marathon jog around the EMU Ballroom. Hill’s act included a Neil Diamond song, a Dolly Parton performance and an air-
guitar championship.
“It’s good to share the love, and it’s good for the kids,” Hill said. “These shows make gay and queer issues more visible, … and comedy makes it a lot easier to hit people with
something new.”
After Hill’s act, University students began their performances. There were 16 performances in all, with students lip-synching and dancing to artists ranging from Tom Jones to Hanson. Many of the performers had experience in drag, but for others it was a first-time experience.
“My friends talked me into it, but they didn’t have to try too hard,” first-time performer and University senior Alissa Hannah said. “It’s a lot of fun, and I’m raising funds for a good cause.”
Throughout the show volunteers aided in fundraising for the LGBTQA, walking the aisles for donations. University sophomore Danielle Baker was one volunteer.
“I’m volunteering because it’s an awesome and comfortable environment,” Baker said. “I hope Bent raises the exposure of lesbians, gays and transgendered people in the community.”
Although the audience was mostly made up of University students, parents of performers and community members, it also attracted people from all over the state.

An Oregon State University student, who identified himself as Mercedes, came from Portland to watch the show and participate in the
audience competition.
“I heard about (Bent) through the grapevine,” Mercedes said. “It’s a drag show, and I came down to have a good time.”
During the show, the HIV Alliance provided free HIV testing and promoted a new testing event every Tuesday night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Neighbors Bar and Bistro.
Kelly Moore, counseling and testing director for the HIV Alliance, said: “At the end of the night, just a few people got tested, but mainly the point of coming here was to promote our other testing sites.”