A Celebration of Queer History Month at HRI’s Wigstock Drag Brunch I Published November 5
By Veronica Vila
A Celebration of Queer History Month at HRI’s Wigstock Drag Brunch
This month the Human Rights Institute hosted a Drag Brunch celebrating Queer History Month and its latest exhibition, Wigstock, which explores themes of identity, race, art, and activism.
The event took place at the HRI’s Gallery on Oct. 19, surrounded by artist Pierre Dalpé’s photographs, where creative expression and the deeper intersection between art, identity, and human rights are celebrated.
“All exhibitions in the HRI Gallery need to have an element of human rights,” said Sarah Coykendall, HRI managing assistant director.
“Each piece brings awareness to human rights—whether by spotlighting joy or injustice,” she said.
The set of queens selected were Kean alumni Kay Gorgeous and Goldstein. Goldstein said Kay is familiar with the Wigstock festival and was excited to perform in a room full of that culture.”
“We aim to foster future activists and advocates by equipping them with the tools they need to become impactful change-makers,” Goldstein said.
The Wigstock exhibition by Dalpé is a modular showcase that evolves with each venue, encouraging audiences to reflect on why certain images are chosen.
“We want people to see that the fight for human rights is ongoing and dynamic,” Coykendall said. “Through exhibitions like these and events like our annual Human Rights Conference, we demonstrate how human rights education can shape the future.”
This year’s collaboration with the Kean Galleries —focused on identity expression through art – aligned perfectly with the department’s mission.
“Artistic expression is one of the rights highlighted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Goldstein notes. “This partnership is a natural fit for us.”
At the heart of the Wigstock exhibition, the Drag Brunch showed a lineup of celebrated New Jersey drag performers led by host and Kean alumnus Kay Gorgeous performed routines that drove the spectators to a full emotional wheel. Dancing, workouts, humor, and moments to honor the lives that fought for queer rights were all incorporated into all drag presentations and audience Q&A.
Kay’s enthusiasm for returning to campus in drag—living her dream—reflects a full-circle moment in her life. “I’ve been looking forward to this gig for a whole month. It’s surreal to be back here, where I studied fine arts, now as a drag queen. It’s even better that they’re paying me this time instead of the other way around!” she jokes.
The tight-knit cast also includes performers Black Cherry Loveé and Urethra Vas D’Ferens, each bringing their unique voice and style to the event. Together, they highlight the power of drag as an art form and its profound impact on self-expression, resilience, and community.
“For me, drag is a love letter to the Black women in my life—my mother, grandmother, and aunts,” Black Cherry opens up. “It’s about honoring them and creating space for others to be unapologetically themselves.”
“It’s rare to see Black drag queens in entertainment. On shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, white queens are often elevated more than Black queens. For me, it’s important to create space to educate and uplift the Black queer community.” Black Cherry adds. “I founded Rebel Stages [based in Delaware Water Gap, PA] to highlight marginalized stories where BIPOC trans and nonbinary people can play roles that reflect their identities freely and unapologetically.”
During her mix Follow Me performance, Black Cherry dedicated a moment to the queer lives that fought for modern queer rights, especially in the memory of Marsha P. Johnson. “How many times do we hear her name during Black History Month? It is up to us to speak her name.” Black Cherry calls out. “She should be next to the Martin Luther Kings and the Malcolm Xs because she is revolutionary and a pioneer in our culture.”
Despite the glitz and glamour of a drag performance, the queens emphasize that drag is far from easy. Kay Gorgeous confesses the financial and emotional toll it can take.
“Drag became my income, but it’s exhausting—two hours to get ready, plus traveling to venues where I sometimes feel unsafe. I wondered, ‘What do I have to show for this?’ I studied to be a teacher, but instead, I’m cross-dressing for a living,” she said.
This sentiment is echoed by Urethra, who describes the physical and emotional intensity of performing. “Every time I get into drag, I want to quit. But once I’m on stage, I realize how much I love it. Even the struggles—eight layers of polyester and spandex, and corsets digging into my ribs that leave burning marks after I take them off—can’t stop me.”
Kay then recounted a moment when an audience member approached her after a performance that grounds her back to her art anytime she feels like quitting.
“This person told me, ‘I came out to my parents as trans, and it didn’t go well. I thought of doing something dumb earlier, but your show gave me the strength to keep going.’ Moments like that remind me that every time you put on a wig, you’re a warrior, and you’re making a difference in somebody’s life.”
Through their performances and in conversations while coming out of drag, the queens emphasized the importance of community between drag queens and with their audiences. For Urethra and Black Cherry, their deep run bond goes back to when they were 18 years old. “We actually met at a local community theater production of Cinderella,” Urethra explains.
“She’s technically my drag mother, even though I was the one who introduced her to drag,” Black Cherry laughs, “Yes, this one made me watch the RuPaul’s, yes,” Urethra jokes.
Their sisterhood extends to the larger drag community, Urethra and Balck Cherry met Kay at Camp Out Poconos —a safe space for queer individuals to collaborate and network. In New Jersey, Kay describes the drag community as a close-knit network. “If you cross one of us, you’ll have an army of queens on your case,” she quips.
“I used to host a weekly drag show that was cut short on exploitative practices,” Kay informs, “then they had a bunch of queens going there, dm’ing them, commenting, and requesting drag show to be back. It was an awakening for me to realize that we had a community and what we did on stage had an impact on people’s lives.”
Black Cherry then admits their love for camaraderie, collaborating, and spending time with each other. “Even in moments like these —coming in and out of drag, rushing each other, we appreciate.” “We call it a keke!” Urethra chimes in.
“Drag is more than performance—it’s family. RuPaul says we choose our family, and these two are mine.” Black Cherry concludes.
This sense of unity is vital, especially in an industry where financial challenges are common.
“People assume drag queens are all on RuPaul’s Drag Race levels, but that’s not the reality. Many of us work for minimum wage, and any money we make goes back into our costumes and makeup,” Kay explains. “Even applying to Drag Race, queens have to take a packet loan of $40k in order to afford fabric, cosmetics, and other goods for the show.”
In spite of all the challenges, the queens bounce back to their humble beginnings in community theater and how those experiences have forged them into steel for drag demands.
“You just go with it.” Black Cherry suggests, “Sometimes audience members leave mid-performance, but you just gotta keep it going.”
At the end of the day, it’s a matter of breaking barriers and giving individuals permission to be who they are without fear or apology.
Considering their favorite songs to perform, Urethra draws it back to 1983’s I Am What I Am from the play La Cage Aux Folles. “I grew up hiding all my life until at 26 I moved to New York and found out who I was,” Urethra recounts while holding back tears, “Up until this day, I am at odd ends with my parents, and it’s difficult. But that song? I am what I am? Yeah, I sure am.”
Overwhelmed by the great reception of their event and diligent attention from the HRI, Kay Gorgeous sent out a huge thanks to Kean University.
“You don’t always get treated like this at gigs—AC, food, drinks, and a dressing room? It’s a luxury!” Kay laughs. “We’d love to come back!”
The queens’ stories, alongside Dalpé’s transformative art, invited audiences to reflect, connect, and act. Kay used the opportunity to promote her annual paint and sip event coming up in November, and the queens asked the audience to follow them on Instagram for more details about performances at @kaygorgeousqueen, @blackcherrylovee, and @urethravdee.
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