"Vanessica" was dressed to impress Thursday night at the Duke Coffeehouse, as Blue Devils United, Duke's LGBT advocacy group, hosted its annual drag show.
Her yellow sequined top, stretched over an ample bust, stood out against her black mini-skirt and heels as she strutted across the stage and lip-synched to Keyshia Cole's "Let It Go." With her curly auburn wig, dark eye-shadow, talon-like nails and meticulously shaved legs, Vanessica epitomized the term "diva."
But "Vanessica" is not a Duke student, nor is she a woman. She is the feminine alter ego of sophomore Jack Grote, a member of Blue Devils United and one of the event's drag performers and emcees.
"We do this every year to bring more awareness to different [sexual] cultures," Grote said. "It's a fun activity, it's a performance, people like to see it."
But amid the cries of "Woo, girl!" and "Damn, that's hot," from audience members throughout the acts-which included a lip-synch to Rihanna's "Disturbia" by a performer garbed in a white trench coat, blonde wig and metal-studded leather harness-there was a tacit recognition of the homophobia that has recently plagued campus.
Donning a black wig and fur-trimmed red velvet mini-dress as he took on the persona of Angel Dumott Schunard, a drag queen from the musical "Rent", sophomore emcee Robert Krattli addressed the crowd.
"I'd like to take the time to mention something that happened on the Giles [Residence Hall] bench," Krattli said, referring to the recent vandalism of the freshman dorm's bench with an anti-gay epithet. "Those kind of words are hurtful and damaging to this community and I just have to say that something should be done about it. Nothing violent. No, no, we do not want to become the enemy now, do we? No, no."
Krattli then groped at his stuffed chest and introduced the next performance to resounding cheers.
The Coffeehouse was at full capacity, with students sitting packed together on the floor and lining the walls.
"The Coffeehouse is like the C-1," Grote said as people continued to squeeze in through the door. "You gotta scooch in."
The audience was composed of more than just members of Duke's LGBT community. Junior Ryan Sellers, a member of Blue Devils United, was accompanied by friends from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.
Senior Carolyn McDaniel said she simply came out to have a good time and provide support to the performers.
"I just really like to dress up and wear wigs, and my friend Robert is in it so I wanted to come see," she said. "I just think it's great that there were so many people here tonight, that there's so much support for this kind of thing. And anywhere they play 'Single Ladies,' I'll show up."
The hit Beyonce song "Single Ladies" was the final act of the night, featuring Erica Daniels, a local performer with pink-streaked hair who assisted with make-up and costumes and gave participants tips during dress rehearsal to help improve their performances.
Daniels said she feels events like the drag show are important for creating an environment of tolerance of differing sexualities.
"It helps with knowledge of the LGBT community and acceptance," she said. "The more they see us get out there and do things that are fun and that involve the entire community, the more acceptance there will be."
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