Although “Extragalactic: Drag Me To Your Leader” marked the 12th Annual Unity Drag Show, many might not know that Berkeley’s drag show has been going on for even longer. 12 years merely marked the first year the Berkeley Drag Show became attached to the UNITY Theme Program and Resource Center. However, many long term staff and community members remember the show before it was organized by UNITY.
This year the planning committee made active efforts to create a diverse drag show and offer accessible methods to enter drag culture. Drag 101, the pre-show event, taught the basics of drag and strategies to make drag financially accessible to newcomers. Drag has often been framed as an exclusive art form, but the UNITY team hoped to dismantle the barriers and reclaim drag for those who have been written out of its hxstory. “Extragalactic: Drag Me To Your Leader” tackled the question of “who is othered by drag culture?” and it thus worked to dismantle gender roles, push boundaries, and celebrate the diversity of the queer and trans community.
The following art by Aris Richardson is inspired by the show. For more photos of the performers, click here.
