Glitz, glamour and fun filled the Cartwright Hall Auditorium during Kent Interhall Council’s annual Sex Week Drag Show Wednesday, Nov. 19. The Kent Interhall Council holds an annual Sex Week to help break the stigma around sex and holds numerous events throughout the week.
“It happens every single year, it’s been happening since before I was a student,” said Chloe Porter, director of student relations for Kent Interhall Council. “It is just a tradition that Kent State loves to hold every single year.”
This year, they welcomed not only one, but two previous “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestants, Denali of season 13 and Tatianna of season 2. The night was hosted by the humorous Jaye The Doll and was joined by several other Kent student drag queens, including Arabella Alexis, Comatose and Karat Cake, who each gave their own spectacular performance.
“I think it’s fun to go out and support queens, the ones that are on ‘Drag Race’ are fun to support, but also local queens as well,” said Brayden Porterfield, a sophomore fashion design major.
The auditorium was filled with cheers as each queen lip-synced to numerous songs from different artists, including Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Paramore and many more. Each one performed a flashy routine and wore glamorous costumes unique to their persona, showing what it means to be a drag queen.
“To me, it’s my favorite part of my personality,” Comatose said, “It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up, it’s the last thing I think about before I go to bed. It is my true passion. I love it.”
Having a drag show at Kent shows the inclusivity and opportunities provided here for students. Freshman fashion design major, AC Curet, attended the show as a student who has experience participating in drag and shared why it’s important to showcase on campus.
“It just shows that queer people are here and accepted, and that we have a community of people,” Curet said.
Porter shared how the queens mean a lot to the Kent community, so putting on this show every year remains important.
“I feel like our drag show makes Kent something that other universities don’t have,” Porter said. “We love to support our local queens and student queens.”
The show created an interactive atmosphere, as the students tipped the queens with one-dollar bills, and Jaye The Doll made it an engaging experience by hyping up students in the crowd, entertaining the audience between breaks. Students left the show with a newfound confidence in themselves.
“I’ve always loved the art of drag and self-expression and feeling confident,” said Cameron Casais, a sophomore fashion design major. “I think it is something to applaud and to encourage.”
Other events occurring during Sex Week 2025, including Sex Bingo on Thursday and “Sextoberfest” on Friday, will end the festivities.
Porter encourages students to join the Kent Interhall Council, as it’s a way to contribute to the university.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a senior or freshman, you can do a lot to help the university and be a part of even more roles within the university,” Porter said.
Ava Drozd is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
