Cameras flashed and fans rushed the stage to tip the queens and kings, stuffing dollars in their corsets and exchanging bills mouth to mouth.

“This would have been inconceivable 30 years ago,” said Doug DiBianco, the faculty adviser of Pride.

“We were afraid to have a dance in the Union back then – afraid that people would come and beat us up, and now look, we put on a drag show on campus. That’s huge!”

Pride’s Saddle Up Drag Show took in more than $1,000, part of which will be donated to the National Transgender Center for Equality.

From the opening number “Liquid Dreams” by O-Town, to a curtain call of “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge, the crowd of nearly 400 cheered, laughed and sang along, as the kings and queens strutted, shimmied, sashayed and grinded on stage and through the aisles.

“There was lots of glitter and feathers, and skin and make-up and it was very, very good,” said Mark Bratton, a Lakeland College student who made the trip to Eastern to see the show.

Anna Stevens, show coordinator and Pride vice president, who also performed in the show as Lance Lixalot, said the organization was very excited about the turnout and all the first timers in the audience.

“It’s wonderful that we can give students on campus a chance to see something they might not ordinarily see,” DiBianco said.

The audience got an education as well as entertainment. Emcee Jeremy Schafer told dirty gay jokes and co-emcee Amaya Mann said the performers gave the audience a lesson on what she called, “fag lingo” with words like “Late” which is bad, as in a bad hair-do or ugly shoes, and “Beat” which means good.

The show lasted the entire four scheduled hours and continued without complication.