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Rachel Doktor/The Record

SUNY Buffalo State’s Pride Alliance held a drag show Monday night in Campbell Student Union’s Social Hall.

Many students attested to this being their first time ever at a drag show. The night was full of playful behavior induced by the performers. The performers donned over-the-top embellished costumes, some of which included bright pink body suits, a tiered ruffled coat with sequences and lace body suits.

Performers danced the night away in knee-high heel boots; with the music ranging from remixes of mainstream dance music to alternative music, such as Marilyn Manson.

Head diva of Club Marcella, Jayme Coxx, opened the show with her performance and also served as the host and MC of the show.

A majority of the performers were drag queens and drag kings from Marcella’s, as well as alumni and current students at Buffalo State.

President of the Pride Alliance Nickey Sereluca began planning the event in May. According to Sereluca, drag shows at Buffalo State predate her involvement in Pride Alliance, but she chooses to keep the annual event alive.

“It represents our organization and helps get our name out there,” she said. “It is something fun and different and it creates equality and acceptance because it is so different.”

Sereluca also considers herself a “drag hag.” She said that she helps with advertising and costumes, and also performed as a background dancer at Marcella’s for her best friend Spike Flohr.

“I was a blowfish, we did an under-the-sea themed performance,” she said.

Flohr was one of the four drag kings of the night. Flohr said that he was a former student at Buffalo State, but dropped out to pursue a career in drag.

He also said that it speaks well for Buffalo State for having the drag show.

“I do a lot of college shows and this is the biggest one around,” he said, adding, “the outcome here is completely different than other schools. I like it because it is something that straight people don’t always see and because Buffalo State is so diverse, people are seeing something they have never seen before.”

Fly Guy Shawn, another drag king who is a Buffalo State alum, has been involved in the LBGT community for seven years. During an interview, he shared his story about his identity.

“I knew early in life that I was different; I don’t really identify as most people,” he said.

Fly Guy Shawn identifies as being pansexual and gender queer. He has been doing drag since 2009. During the show, he provided the crowd with some nostalgia by dressing up as Michael Jackson and performing to Thriller. He even wore similar contacts to the ones worn in Jackson’s music video.

Senior political science major Kate Jaro said that this was her first drag show ever.

“It was interesting and entertaining, I had a lot of fun,” she said.

The show was also described as being “the bomb dot com” by freshman business major Kevin Clark.

“I absolutely loved it. It is wonderful to show the diversity of Buffalo State, not just race wise but sexuality too,” he said.

During the show, Coxx reminded the crowd about the college night that happens every Thursday. Students 18 and over can go to Club Marcella for a discounted price if they provide their college ID.