BY: DM
Published 5 hours ago
Yes, Drag University is a thing, and it encompasses every aspect of drag culture folks have come to love. Drag University isn’t your grandma’s pageant class — it’s a five-month immersion in drag and activism that’s shaking up Houston’s queer scene. This free program equips aspiring performers with everything from wig-making and makeup mastery to public speaking.
The roots of Drag University stretch back almost two decades to local impresario Dwayne Williams, per Out Smart. He launched the original iteration while “RuPaul’s Drag Race” was still on the rise. Williams helped nearly 30 emerging artists — including Foxy Mun’Ro and Chloe Crawford Ross — for over two years find their footing.
Years after its inception, the program is being revived. The Normal Anomaly Initiative is helping to usher in a new class of aspiring queens, with an even broader mission. Here is a look at what Drag University has to offer.
Drag University is back and better than ever.
The Normal Anomaly Initiative revamped Drag University with advocacy in mind, expanding the original concept to teach queens how to become outspoken community leaders. “At its core, Drag University is more than a program; it is a movement,” Joelle Bayaa-Uzuri Espeut, Advocacy Director of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, told LGBTQ Nation. “We are bringing together art, education, creativity, activism, and healthcare to nurture a new generation of drag performers in the South.”
They aim to use these tools to nurture a new generation of drag ambassadors in the South. In over eight bi-weekly sessions, cohort members dive into a comprehensive curriculum. Topics include hair and makeup application, costume design, performance technique, HIV awareness, and leadership training. The program will end with a capstone advocacy project that features a live performance and a speech showdown at the Black Queer AF Music Festival.
“The previous iteration of Drag University centered mostly on the drag entertainment component, where participants participated in a pageant,” Espeut said. “The Normal Anomaly’s upcoming Drag University cohort will combine the drag component with an added advocacy and leadership development component.”
The program has made a real change in the lives of LGBTQIA+ folks.
Drag University pulls in heavy hitters as guest instructors. Students have learned choreography from A’Keria Chanel Davenport, a star from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11. Additionally, they studied pageant strategy with Jazell Barbie Royale, who was crowned Miss International Queen in 2019. Under the guidance of Ian L. Haddock, founder of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, they’ve also developed their advocacy skills. Additionally, Harris County Judge Lillian Alexander has provided legal support on name changes, helping students align their legal identities with their drag personas, according to Hot Spots Magazine.
Drag University also helps create bonds between Houston’s working-class Black and Latino queer communities. Eight participants, ranging from cis and trans women to nonbinary artists, discovered solidarity, joy, and the courage to be seen.
“I am trying to find who I am. And in finding myself, I am able to become the most powerful version of myself, a version who is free, who is unapologetic,” a student told The Advocate. “And that makes me feel great because the little version of myself was too afraid to be seen.”
If you enrolled in Drag University, what would your drag name be and why?
