Carleton students dressed in Halloween costumes and gathered at Ollie’s at the Drag Me To Trivia event on Oct. 30.
The Halloween event was the combined efforts of the Carleton University Journalism Society (JSOC) and the Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre Company (SnB) to co-ordinate an evening of trivia hosted by drag queen, Caligula.
JSOC president Annie Tuba* said they chose to bring the event back following success last year in its inaugural year.
Tuba said the incorporation of the Association for Equity and Inclusion in Journalism and Media (AEIJM) into JSOC has encouraged the society to host more diverse events.
“We try to do more inclusive events, especially LGBTQ,” she said.
The event featured drag queen Caligula as the master of ceremonies, announcing Halloween-based trivia questions and cracking jokes with attendees all night.
“I’ve always loved performing. I’ve done theatre, music and dance before,” Caligula said. “Drag felt like a little bit of a natural progression.”
Badour said it’s a necessity to have safe spaces for queer people on campus.
“Theatre has a long tradition of being a safe haven for queer people,” Badour said. “Being able to platform drag at a time when, politically, drag is under fire, is so important.”
Tuba said that although Ottawa is a fairly inclusive city, there isn’t enough LGBTQ+ representation in the media or on campus.
Badour noted how Carleton University withdrew from Capital Pride following a pro-Palestine statement from its organizers. She said it was a step back for LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
“Carleton has a lot to learn,” Badour said.
At the end of the night, Caligula thanked the event’s organizers, and the Carleton community for helping them find themselves in their art.
“I owe a lot to SnB and I owe a lot to Carleton for helping me discover who I am and finding myself,” Caligula said.
Caligula’s finale was a performance of “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan, a song about breaking out of your shell and embracing your identity.
Caligula, who grew up in a small town, said they struggled with not knowing how people would react to their drag persona.
“It was a big hill for me to climb, but I knew deep down the people that actually cared about me would be supportive no matter what,” they said.
*Annie Tuba has contributed to the Charlatan.
Featured image by Sophia Lall/The Charlatan.
