The Diva Drag Show, an event named the second most attended function next to graduation, added something new this year.

The Kings and Queens will be striking fierce poses, Monday Oct 26 in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union and Kings will be added this year.

K. Saldanas, the vice president of Pride, said two kings are going to be a part of the show this year. Kings will be women who dress up in drag as men. This year the theme for the show is Greek Mythology.

Saldanas said most of the money donated will be given to SACIS. SACIS is in danger of closing its doors and Pride wants to put some of the profits toward SACIS.

“It not for us, it’s not our funding, its SACIS’s funding,” Saldanas said. “My priority is to gain as much as possible for SACIS, because it is a very important resource on campus.”

Jo Stauder said the showcase also raises a lot of awareness about Pride as an organization. Stauder said Pride is known for the Diva Drag Show and seeing the show can heightens student’s interest to join the organization.

“It is not necessarily us educating the audience but it’s for them to learn and experience what drag is,” Saldanas said.

Stauder said within the last few years Pride has encountered some major budget cuts, so personal donations would help to put the greater cause, which is funds for SACIS.

“This year it’s my personal goal to incorporate teaching people about the history of drag because drag today is a lot different from how it first started,” Stauder said.

Stauder said when drag started in the 70s and 80s it was a place where Trans-women would go and practice passing so they would not experience violence. Passing is being able to look like what they preferred to be identified as.

Stauder said over time it developed into a societal parody, which sometimes included gay men dressing and make fun of straight men.

“Eventually it lost that kind of heavy social connotation and just became gender performance,” Stauder said.

Stauder said the leader of the Queens, Ceduxion, and all of the other Queens from last years’ show are returning.

The Diva Drag Show has been in the making since the start of the summer and Pride reserved the Grand Ballroom around last semester as well.

Tickets are $5 for general admission $8 for VIP seats and $10 for front row seats.

T’Nerra Butler can be reached at 581-2812 or tabutler@eiu.edu