It was one week past Halloween, but no date on the calendar was enough to stop some Boston University students from stumbling around the George Sherman Union in high heels, feathered boas, metallic spandex, crazy makeup and wigs on Friday.
Spectrum at BU, the student-run gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and allied cultural organization, hosted its first-ever ’80s-themed drag ball, where more than 380 students came dressed as outrageously as possible as the opposite gender in the Metcalf Ballroom.
‘It is a safe environment for undergraduates where they can be themselves,’ Spectrum President Bridget McNulty said, peering through bright purple eyelashes. ‘We are proud of who we are, in the loudest way possible.’
Spectrum threw two similar drag balls last year, but neither had a theme, McNulty, a School of Education senior, said.
‘We asked, ‘What can take drag to the next level?” she said. ”80s ‘-‘- it’s all about being over the top.’
Two colorful disco balls projected light along the walls and ceiling, and blue and silver balloons blanketed the floor. Despite the 80’s theme, modern pop and hip-hop music blasted from the speakers. Students sporting sweatbands, leg warmers, bold eye shadow and big hair gathered around the stage and danced throughout the night.
Near the entrance to the ballroom, a table was filled with blank postcards for attendees to write messages of support and thanks to their state’s LGBTQ organization.
About an hour and half into the ball, an Amateur Drag Show began. Drag queens came onto the stage one-by-one to perform a lip-sync version to a song by their favorite diva, including divas from the ’80s, like Cher, as well as more current divas, like Britney Spears.
College of Fine Arts sophomore James Fluhr and College of Communication senior Ricky Anderson hosted the show. Dressed in elaborate drag costumes, the two went by the names Mark My Jacob and Lucy Vuitton, respectively, in the spirit of the night.
‘We put a lot of effort into this,’ Anderson said. ‘It’s ferocious!’
The duo insulted each other playfully on stage, much to the entertainment of the audience.
‘Honey, you’re sweating like our next president,’ Mark My Jacob told a visibly overheated Lucy Vuitton.
‘Well you can put lipstick on a pig, but she’ll still be a pig,’ Lucy retorted.
Brandeis University junior Michael Castellanos, who posed as Madonna, won the competition to a loud applause from the audience. Sporting a little black dress, Castellanos did an interpretative dance to get the crowd excited.
College of Arts and Sciences freshman Miranda Wakimoto said the ball was like a ‘Halloween for gay people.’
Spectrum media coordinator Anthony Simone, a College of Communication sophomore, said the drag ball is ‘one of BU’s biggest social events.’
‘This is the hottest event that BU throws,’ Newbury College student Leila Rose said. ‘It gives you a chance to express yourself, and it is judgment free.’
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