With exciting performances from Chicago drag artists and Drag PAC stars and calls to action from political activism groups, Drag Night Chicago brought a strong sense of community energy to Metro Aug. 21.
Hosted by queen Lucy Stoole and consisting of performances from Detox, Willam, Bambi Banks Couleé, Sheeza Woman, Sativa Diamond, Angelíca Grace and Dusty Bahls, the event filled up the venue with folks dancing, singing and applauding for speakers who talked about the importance of queer unity and power.
While she welcomed everyone to the crowd, Lucy Stoole discussed her belief in the importance of voting in this election, and not just for a presidential candidate.
“We’re talking local,” she said. “We’re trying to highlight everyone we should be fucking with. Because it’s time to pay the fuck attention.”
The event, sponsored by Drag PAC, intended to bring the queer community together and promote political action. On one side of the venue, there was an area where folks could get help registering to vote and even get a photo op with Drag PAC backgrounds.
Multiple folks from the Drag PAC, such as executive director Dylan Bulkeley-Krane, took the stage to both speak about the power of the queer community and call those in attendance to donate or volunteer where they can to make sure queer rights don’t regress backwards. Activist, politician and drag performer Honey Mahogany also mentioned the importance of voting for candidates at all levels who promote these ideals.
BenDeLaCreme, one of Drag PAC’s main queens, spoke about her experience at the DNC over the past two days with fellow queen Peppermint. She talked about speaking with a young Tennessee congressman about how important representation and internal dialogue are for moving our country forward in terms of queer rights.
Beyond that, Q Force, a Chicago-based voter mobilization group, was also there to call for help with its mission—helping the Midwest vote blue in the upcoming election through traveling to nearby swing states and getting the vote out.
Before performances began, Chicago’s Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, a queer and trans nun group, gave a blessing to the crowd, asking them to “address your highest self, your higher power, deity or diva.”
With a handful of performances that all brought the house—and Bambi Banks Couleé’s stiletto heel and wig—down, dollar bills were flying towards the stage from all directions. Acts ranged from slow sensual undressing performances to full-on pop hit dance numbers complete with headstands and death drops.
To close out the night, Willam and Detox performed their parody song “Chow Down (at Chick-fil-A)” to roaring applause and passed around a takeout Chick-fil-A bag through the crowd to collect tips.
The theme circling throughout the night, from the introduction to the conclusion, was that the queer community must continue moving forward with fights for its rights despite constant backlash from around the country.
A Drag PAC worker introduced as James highlighted the importance of the queer community’s influence during the election cycle to a crowd actively cheering in response to his words.
“We are the architects of forward,” he said. “The queer community has designed forward out of necessity. Our roads forward were forged by trans women of color, our roads forward were paved by LGBTQ+ marches, our roads forward illuminated by a million AIDS deaths and countless acts of violence directed at our community … the next administration needs to take its cues from our community.”