Cheers filled Bowman Hall Tuesday night as drag performers took the stage for “Drag Out the Vote.”

After debuting in 2022, the event returned this year with seven local drag artists aiming to encourage Kent State students to vote in the upcoming general election.  

The Kent State College Democrats organized the drag show in collaboration with Comatose, a drag performer, who hoped that “Drag Out the Vote” would remind people to have fun this election season.

“It takes some of the seriousness out of voting,” they said. “I think in this election there’s a lot on the line with queer rights, so I thought, why not have a bunch of drag queens say, ‘Please vote, because we’re people, too?’”

Another performer, Marquis Gaylord, emphasized the importance of mobilizing voters. 

“I feel like using drag as a way of energizing new and young voters for this election cycle is a really good use of our talents and time,” Gaylord said. “I’m excited to get people in the right mindset for what’s coming up next week and making sure everyone knows the importance of our civic duty.”

The event also featured remarks from two local candidates: Carmen Laudato, running for county commissioner, and Nathaniel Adams, running for the Ohio House of Representatives. Both stressed the critical role voter participation plays in shaping policies regarding the LGBTQ+ community.

“We have issues like property taxes and healthcare, and people are worried about transgender women playing sports,” Adams said. “I don’t understand why we’re focusing on these kinds of issues.”

Among the event’s attendees was Johari Bevington, a preschool teacher in Chagrin Falls, who came to the event after her roommate sent her a screenshot of a flier. 

“[Drag is] this beautiful physical expression of being queer,” Bevington said. “How do we make an identity into art? I feel like drag does that.”

While the registration and absentee ballot application deadlines have since passed, students can still participate in the election by voting in person or returning their absentee ballots to their board of elections. For more details about polling locations and election resources, they can visit Kent State Votes.

“People try to keep politics out of it, but drag is political,” Comatose said. “Vote because we get to choose our leader, and … politics could change forever with the outcome of this election.”

Grace Claxon is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].