Mason Abernathy cannot find high heels in a women’s size 16, extra wide.

He also is not sure yet if he will wear long gloves or get his nails done.

However, he said he does have a “wonderful” black and white dress.

Abernathy, freshman undecided major, is participating in “Hug a Queen or King.”

EIU Pride will host the event today in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union walkway outside the University Food Court.

Queens and kings will be available for hugs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m.

“I’ll be Miss Beautiful there,” Abernathy said. “That’s what you can call me.”

The event is part of Pride’s celebration of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month, which ends Oct. 31. LGBT History Month started on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day.

The cost to hug a queen or king is $1.

All proceeds will go to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

Dan Koteski, actions director for Pride and senior history and journalism major, said Pride will not keep any of the money.

“We chose The Global Fund because it’s a widely recognized charity and it’s more encompassing in its mission to provide health services,” Koteski said.

He said the fund appealed to Pride because it is more than an AIDS charity and is also global.

Koteski said there will be three, possibly four, Pride members participating as “amateur drag enthusiasts.”

Kirstin Bowns volunteered to be a king.

“So, basically, I’m going to dress like a boy and sit at a booth all day,” Bowns said.

The freshman special education major said she has never done drag before but said it sounded amusing.

Bowns said she is looking forward to giving strangers hugs and thinks it will be entertaining. She said she’s naturally an outgoing person who normally does not give handshakes – she gives hugs.

Abernathy said he was more than willing to volunteer because he has dressed in drag before.

He said giving hugs will be fun.

“Plus, I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to hug me,” Abernathy said. “I’m going to look so good.”

Pride originally planned to sell kisses as well as hugs, but the campus scheduling office and the health department limited them to hugs.

Abernathy said Pride members understood.

“There’s a lot of strep and stuff going around and, you know, I’d rather not get strep,” he said.

Bowns said people will be surprised when they enter the Union and see a bunch of queens and kings.

“I hope people find it fun and take it in the playful nature it’s meant,” she said.

Abernathy thinks there will be a good turnout.

“Women love queens,” Abernathy said. “And there are actually a vast amount of open-minded men on campus, too. I think we’re going to get a lot of people.”

Abernathy said the event is a way to encourage diversity and to make Pride visible on campus.

“I hope that we can outreach to people who don’t know that Pride is an organization that’s here,” Abernathy said. “I know that there are homosexuals who are in the community and don’t know that there are a lot of homosexuals here.”