???Friday night, while many UB students were trying to distance themselves from campus, a large group of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance (LGBTA) members and supportive students chose to gather in the Student Union for a little game called Drag Bingo.
???"It's a part of Late Night UB," said Kelly Davis, a graduate student of the school of Higher Education Administration and an intern at Student Life. "There are four drag hosts who are all here to perform in between the games."
???The event, free for students, was held from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Student Union Social Hall. Campus Cash and UB merchandise were provided as prizes for the winners, and free popcorn and pizza were available for all of the bingo players to snack on.
???Kevin Eich, a freshman pharmacy major and LGBTA member, was delighted to see that so many people attended.
???"I had heard that there have been drag shows at UB before and that tons of people were there," Eich said.
???There were plenty of participants from freshmen to graduate students, many of which were aware of or affiliated with LGBTA. While Facebook attracted some of the attendees, the alliance at UB boasts enough support that word of mouth proved just as effective.
???"I go to all the LGBTA events," said Jamie Szafran, a graduate student of the School of Computer Science. "My mother and sister are both students at this school so they let me know about it."
???When the game began, many students weren't quite sure what to expect. The game is played just like regular bingo and the drag portion of the night is only in the performances and hosting done by the drag queens, Davis said.
???Two of these drag queens, Ariel Deemont and Chloey Jae, came to perform at bingo night, but also work as cast members at Illusions, a club in Buffalo.
???"I'm not sure where the idea came from," Jae said. "I know that there is a bar downtown where they have had gay bingo."
???While the game was intended to entertain students, it also helped to raise awareness about LGBTA. All students were allowed at the event, from LGBTA members to those who have never seen a drag show.
???"We thought it would be good to promote some more diversity at the university," Davis said.
???Being a drag queen is really more of a lifestyle than just a show, according to Eich. The queens take on a drag name, and put a lot of time and effort into their appearance.
???"It takes us about two hours to do our make-up," Deemont said. "We do it all by ourselves."
???The clothes and make-up are very important to any drag performance and most drag queens perform by dancing and lip-syncing, Eich said.
???"Basically you pick the music and design your costume around it," Jae said. "I'm doing 'Late Night Bimbo' by Ida Korr and 'Nudity' by Kylie."
???While all the students played bingo and awaited the entertainment, Deemont and Jae put some finishing touches on their ensembles. After one game, it came time for the first drag performance of the night.
???"I'm up first and I'm doing a song by Lady Gaga called 'Just Dance,' " Deemont said.
???The performances, like the rest of the event, provided a glimpse at the lifestyle of drag queens and the on-going activities of the LGBTA. For those who weren't necessarily into drag, it provided a night full of prizes, pizza and entertainment.
???Even though they were spending a Friday night on campus, participants got to enjoy the prospect of winning at bingo, and the common feeling that they were helping to promote diversity and acceptance at UB.
???"It's easy to stay active with something you believe in," Eich said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
