Hairspray, glitter and the sound of fake nails tapping filled the air in Ball Gym Saturday night as more than 800 pairs of eyes were glued to the stage. The audience was waiting for the moment when the music would play and drag kings and queens would strut through the curtains and onto the stage.
They were waiting for the start of the biannual drag show for charity put on by Spectrum, Ball State University's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, straight alliance.
Alana Steele, winner of Indiana University's 2005 Miss Gay IU pageant, summed up the essence of being a drag queen at the show.
"I don't want to be a woman. It's too much work," she said. "I am simply an entertainer, and you are here to be entertained."
Three drag kings and nine drag queens performed at the show to a crowd of more than 800 people. Spectrum members, students from other schools and four professionals danced and lip-synced to songs ranging from a Britney Spears medley to "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls.
"In the past, we only had professionals," said Spectrum President Zac Davis, who performed in the show as C.C. Cookie. "Then it really started transitioning to Ball State students, and now it's a mixture of both."
Audience interaction was also part of the show. Performers frequently carried their acts out into the crowd and Master of Ceremonies Valerie Swanson singled out audience members and hosted a lip-syncing contest among three of them.
The shows take place once every semester and raise money for charities from the tips performers receive. Spectrum also sold Pride Month shirts for $10 and HIV/AIDS bracelets for $2. This semester's charity was the Damien Center of Indianapolis. The Damien Center is a private organization that supports people who do not have the resources to treat their HIV or AIDS, Davis said.
"We think it's a cause that affects our community, and because of that, we are donating to them," he said.
At the end of the night, performers had raised about $1,400 for the Damien Center.
In the past, Spectrum's drag shows have benefited charities such as Motivate Our Minds and the Muncie Mission, but after choosing to donate to the Damien Center last spring, the organization decided to continue its help to the center.
"We decided it was a really great organization and to do it again," Spectrum secretary Adam Ludwig said. "We decided it would probably be our permanent charity."
Besides raising money for charity, the drag show serves as a way for Spectrum to get the word out about its organization and to have a good time, Ludwig said.
To perform in the drag show, which used a courthouse theme this semester complete with handcuffs and police tape, drag kings and queens had to go through two screenings to check their outfits and choreography.
"We have never cut anyone," Davis said. "We say 'screening' to make sure it is professional and appropriate. This is a PG-13 type of campus."
During the show, performers were evaluated by two judges dressed in drag, Veronica Stiles and Victoria White. All of the performers won recognition in a certain category, from best shoes to best choreography to best comedic performance.
The drag show is Spectrum's biggest event during Pride Month. Other events this month include National Coming Out Day, a transgender speaker panel, costume dodgeball tourney and a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
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