To increase awareness of the LGBT community, FAU will host its eighth annual Drag Show on Oct. 27 — and it’s free for students to attend.

The performing drag queen artists will be Ariel Rimm, Rianna Petrone, TP Lords, Kat Wilderness, Velvet Lenore, and Jackie Jae. The event, put on by the Divison of Student Activities and Enrollment Management and funded by Student Government, is $10 for guests and has brought in hundreds of attendees in the past.

“This show is important because it exposes our students to drag culture and its history. Locally known artists perform drag theatrically in an environment that promotes inclusion and awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Also, it’s fun!” Coordinator of the Office of LGBTQ+ Initiatives and Allyship Geanny Joseph-Ruiz said.

Drag shows are also “growing in popularity on college campuses and in mainstream pop culture,” she said. This is in part due to “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” a reality television show started in 2009 where drag queens compete against each other to win the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.”

The event’s doors open at 8 p.m. in the Boca Student Union’s Carol and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium, and the show starts at 9 p.m.

Hope Taylor is a contributing writer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected].