Draggieland is a once a year event held by Texas A&M’s Queer Empowerment Council (QEC) featuring drag queens and kings from the South Texas area competing for the title “Queen of Draggieland.”
In February, the Texas A&M Board of Regents unanimously passed a resolution banning on-campus drag shows across its eleven schools, stating the performances are “inconsistent with the system’s mission and core values of the university.”
The board then called for this year’s Draggieland to be canceled, rightfully sparking outrage among the school’s LGBTQ+ community. Protests were quickly organized in defense of students’ rights. Participants argued that the drag ban directly violated the First Amendment rights to free speech and expression.
As a Texas A&M student, I began following the story as it garnered media attention. I found it ridiculous that the Board of Regents, which at the time consisted only of men, cited the belief that drag performances are “demeaning to women” as their primary justification for the resolution.
After the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and the QEC filed a free speech lawsuit, the ban was blocked by Federal Judge Lee H. Rosenthal. This allowed Draggieland 2025 to proceed as scheduled on March 27.
A friend and I attended the event and had a blast. It was an 18+ event. Ticketholders were given access to the show, as well as a room with various vendors associated with LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. Everyone was in great spirits, and the atmosphere was welcoming.
The show itself was incredible. Hosts and judges were introduced with a short song, and video interviews of contestants were played before they took the stage. The two top-scoring queens were chosen, and a lip sync battle was held to determine the winner, who was then crowned as queen of Draggieland.
This year’s Draggieland was such a fun and engaging experience, with people laughing, clapping along with the music, and even doing a crowd wave between performances.
It is baffling that so many people have an issue with drag. To me, it’s the same as any other form of performance art—bringing fun and joy to so many people, not just the performers, but everyone watching.
Banning events like this on campus would only open the door for more discriminatory acts against marginalized communities on campus.
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Sidney is currently a sophomore at Texas A&M University majoring in Ecology and Conservation Biology.
