Drag for charity
Two cabaret audience members share their perspectives on Tennessee’s recent anti-drag bill.
By Alina Farnsworth and Alyssa Malyon | Reporters
Bill DeCoursey, 91, sat perched in the front row of Roxy’s Cabaret in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday evening for the weekly Drag Queen Charity Bingo event. The hosts wore neon gowns, three-inch stiletto heels and voluminous strawberry-colored wigs. DeCoursey, celebrating his birthday with his granddaughter, Tonya Torres, spent the evening at the lounge, their grinning faces dimly illuminated by the dancing fluorescent lights.
As drag queen hosts Nina DiAngelo and Monica West sang out each bingo number, DeCoursey slid the red markers on his bingo card with a wrinkled hand.
Audience members dropped bills in the basket circulating the room. All donations went towards Camp Kitten, a rescue program for pets in need of care and loving homes. West stood center stage as she introduced this week’s charity. Every Tuesday, Roxy’s Cabaret highlights a new non-profit organization to raise awareness and give back to the community.
“When you believe in something and someone you should never let it go,” performer West said.
Disco lights slowed and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” faded into the background as the two queens exited the dinner theater. The performance was over and the bingo cards were neatly stacked, yet Torres leaned forward, resting her elbows comfortably on the table. Instead of wandering out the door with the remainder of the crowd, DeCoursey and Torres remained seated, conversing about the recent developments in drag bans across the country.
“[Drag] is fun and this is safe for people. You know you’re not around people that are a threat. It doesn’t matter if you’re straight, trans or gay. You can just be yourself.” –Tonya Torres, audience member
Drag performance bans are in the works for 14 different states. Tennessee recently signed a law that can charge “male or female impersonators” with a felony for public drag displays. This will go into effect July 1, restricting where cabaret events can be held and who can attend.
“[Drag] is fun and this is safe for people,” Torres said. “You know you’re not around people that are a threat. It doesn’t matter if you’re straight, trans or gay. You can just be yourself.”
She explained that performances like drag bingo can create a comfortable environment to relax and have a good time without worrying about judgment from others. Still, it requires being willing to get out of your comfort zone. Torres and DeCoursey discussed their ongoing confusion regarding the new bans going into effect, stating “drag doesn’t hurt anybody.”
“I don’t know why people are so against other people just being their authentic selves,” Torres said. “I think once you get to know somebody, it gets rid of all your biases because they actually become a person.”
