On Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day, the student hub at 39 W. 13th St. was transformed into a shiny blue and purple ballroom for a night of celebration: a drag gala — to be exact — hosted by The New School’s recently formed student-run Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA). Guests were encouraged by the Partiful invite to dress as their favorite Rupaul Drag Race performer, their most authentic self, or as “the star of the night.” It was an evening of mingling, style, and drag performances by a member of the alliance itself, third-year dramatic arts student Spike Vicious. 

The event was highly anticipated by the members of SAGA, a club that came into fruition last spring. Second-year liberal arts student Meyah Henry, who identifies as queer, founded and now leads the club. She was surprised to find very few LGBTQ organizations when she first arrived at The New School, a university often perceived as having a large queer-identifying student body, given its reputation for progressive values and inclusivity. 

“Where are the queer events? Where is the queer celebration? … We don’t really have any events,” Henry said. She also mentioned that the Queer Collective is the only other organization at The New School specifically dedicated to hosting events for queer students, as one of the programs within the peer health advocate framework. Due to a lack of student-run LGTBQ+ organizations on campus, Henry was inspired to start SAGA. The mission of the organization is to “build community and a safe space for queer people,” she said.

The gala stood as a testament to Henry’s ongoing efforts to foster community and visibility for queer students.  Throughout the night, she would announce that it was time for everyone to show off their outfits — ranging from royal blue gowns to bright red pants and vests — and people would take turns strutting down the purple runway carpet as cheers erupted over the playlist of pop divas. Dinner was served buffet-style, offering pasta, salad, and a tower of sweets. 

Near the end of the evening, before organized group photos, emotions ran high as Henry announced that the head of events management, second-year fashion student Stella Eddy, would be stepping into the role of vice president. 

Eddy is currently the only heterosexual member of the three-person staff, and spoke to the importance of allyship as a member of the club. “The word ‘alliance’ emphasizes that you don’t have to be queer yourself to be part of this community. And I think it’s really important that you shouldn’t just care for the people who are like yourself,” Eddy said.

At a time when drag is frequently targeted by right-wing politicians, Eddy’s sentiment feels all the more relevant. 

According to the night’s performer, Spike, “[Drag] is being seen as a way to induct people into being gay or being trans … It’s more just about getting people to be more comfortable with alternative ideas of expression. To make people more loving and more accepting is a beautiful thing, and that is what drag is also very much about.” 

Spike saw the event as more than entertainment, especially in today’s political climate, where being seen is an act of defiance in itself. He took to the runway with confidence, brightening up the room and inspiring others to give it a try. 

By the end of the night, everyone had a chance to show themselves off on the runway and feel the love.

“I think our queer ancestors, I guess, were mostly trans people. Often people who also did drag. So part of it is recognizing queer history. But also, I just think expression is important. Freedom of expression is beautiful and drag is just a version of that,” Spike said. 

Spike said that normalizing drag for all students is important because it also normalizes “alternative gender expression” and queerness. “I think drag and queerness should be acceptable anywhere. And by putting on a university event, it kind of makes that possible.”

As a university that has established progressive ideologies as a part of its core values, if there’s any university that should pave the way for drag to become a regular activity in student settings, The New School is it. 

This drag gala is only the beginning for SAGA. “I think the most important thing here, with everything that’s happening in our society, is that we need something we can rely on,” Henry said. “And I think having events here, having a club here, is really important … we have this to look forward to.”