(Campus Reform) — Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict recently hosted a drag show with student performers, drawing criticism from conservative students.
The Minnesota-based schools, which operate as sister institutions rooted in Benedictine Catholic tradition, held a “Drag Show Olympics” on April 18 hosted by the Queer Proud Lavender Union of Students (QPLUS).
The group functions as an organization within the schools’ Multicultural Services Department. According to the schools’ website, “An organization is a group that is closely tied to a department on campus, and has the oversight of that department rather than oversight by The Center for Student Leadership & Engagement.”
It notes that such groups are typically advised by a department member and that “some funding from the department goes towards the group.”
QPLUS described the event as a “celebration of pride, performance, and community” in an advertisement on social media, adding that “special guest performers” will join students on stage.
The group announced in a separate post that “Student Queens and Kings” will perform, using stage names such as “MOMO,” “Rat Lord,” and “HELLRAZOR.”
The event was hosted by Paris Mylan, described on his Instagram profile as “The International Diva” and a cast member at LUSH Lounge and Theater, a Minneapolis venue that regularly hosts drag performances.
QPLUS posted photos of some of the performers and thanked attendees following the event, writing, “From the performers to the volunteers to every person in the audience, you helped turn this night into more than a show; you made it a celebration of community and belonging.”
In a statement provided to Campus Reform, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University said that QPLUS “offers a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ+ students” and that the institutions support “students’ rights to host educational campus events.”
“This event does not violate any campus policies,” the statement continued, adding that administrators have worked with organizers “to ensure a joyful, respectful and educational event that is in line with our Benedictine values.”
The College Republicans chapter at CSB/SJU expressed opposition to the event in a statement to Campus Reform, arguing that it conflicts with the schools’ religious mission.
“We are disheartened that a Benedictine institution … would be willing to host a drag show,” the group told Campus Reform, arguing that such performances contradict “Saint John’s own mission statement, which states that the university is committed to the values of ‘openness to truth,’ ‘passion for truth,’ and ‘sacredness of truth.’”
The group also claimed that the university has promoted the drag show more actively than other student events, including those hosted by College Republicans, and stated that the schools’ behavior does not consider students’ expectation that it will “adhere to these [Benedictine and Catholic] values and traditions.”
QPLUS, the schools’ College Democrats chapter, and faculty within the Gender Studies department have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published by Campus Reform and reprinted here with permission.
