Fashion and drag show celebrates queer culture at UMD

By Rachel McCrea
For The Diamondback

Members of Maryland’s LGBTQ+ neighborhood celebrated queer vogue and culture Tuesday evening at Bloom, a style drag clearly show held in Stamp College student Union. As portion of the university’s thirty day period lengthy Pride celebration, the party combined factors of drag shows, ballroom trend and queer society to rejoice queer and trans artistic expression.

The exhibit was open to all learners, and contestants walked the elevated runway in entrance of a panel of pupil judges. Outfits ranged from goth androgyny to cow print jackets as contestants walked, danced and lip-synced to almost everything from Doja Cat and Britney Spears to Bollywood tunes.

Aadya Sharma was topped royalty at the conclusion of the night.

“Queer society, and drag itself precisely, is getting who you are and turning it upside down,” the junior mechanical engineering major reported. “It’s camp and passion and vogue and community. That’s what drag is.”

The clearly show was emceed by Naveena Aruldhas, a senior information and facts science key and just one of the event’s organizers.

“This is in fact the very first celebration that I will be emceeing as an out, nonbinary queer person,” they said. “This will be really important for the reason that I’m capable to display the side that’s always been there … I’m in a position to reside and emcee as my genuine self.”

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For some contestants, it was their first time doing at a queer manner event.

“I imagine the past time I was on stage was my sixth quality talent present,” mentioned Amira Ahamed, who walked at the event. The senior psychology key said they appreciated tough their fears at Bloom and would do it again.

For considerably of queer background, Aruldhas reported, fashion has authorized people to categorical their society and identity.

“I desired Bloom to be that area that accommodates area for people today to be their genuine selves,” Aruldhas reported.“If [members of the LGBTQ+ community] want to carry out, they can carry out and if they want to stroll, they can walk, but also give credit back again to the communities and elders that have presented that space for us.”

According to Aruldhas, inspiration for the clearly show was taken from past fall’s Black Pupil Union Homecoming Trend Present, as perfectly as ballroom culture, queer fashion and Tv demonstrates such as RuPaul’s Drag Race and Pose.

“I definitely appreciated how confident most people was, I liked the variety of outfits,” junior laptop science main Chisomebi Agwu mentioned. “The audience and the judges were being seriously supportive.”

Bloom is one particular of the numerous activities held during April to celebrate Satisfaction Month. So significantly, the student run Pleasure Thirty day period Committee and Multicultural Involvement Neighborhood Advocacy have hosted a zine workshop, a “Gaymer Night” for queer video clip activity supporters and quite a few other activities.

On April 22, the Stamp Grand Ballroom will aspect the SEE Drag Show, headlined by RuPaul’s Drag Race finalist Crystal Methyd. The thirty day period will culminate with Pleasure Prom on April 29 and the Let us Say Homosexual Parade on April 30.

Seeking towards the future, Aruldhas hopes Bloom will usher in related functions that allow for queer and trans learners to convey by themselves in a safe house.

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“I feel it was about time that a queer student org has a drag present or a style exhibit wherever people today can be themselves,” they stated.