Students Trade Skirts For Pants (and Vice-Versa)

A drag king, dressed in black slacks with a pink stripped long sleeve shirt, and a drag queen, in a black and pink top with gold heels, taught students the art of gender-bending yesterday at a workshop sponsored by the Women’s Center, the Trans Task Force and the Queer Students and Allies.

The presentation was part of a senior project by Lisa J. Miracchi ’09, who said it was an opportunity for the three groups to collaborate.

Miracchi said she chose this month to hold the workshop since it is “Quapril” for the QSA, a month in which the organization raises awareness about issues affecting gay, lesbian and transgender people.

During the event, drag king Haywood Wakefield and drag queen Fena Barbitall gave a presentation about their lives and then split the attendees into two groups to teach them how to dress in drag.

Barbitall took the men into a separate room and spoke about being a drag queen performer, saying that she hoped that students would gain insight into drag culture.

Meanwhile, Wakefield spoke about the process of dressing as a drag king, discussing issues from “packing a pud” to “building a tummy” as alternatives to breast binding while performing on stage.

Trans Task Force (TTF) Chair Eva B. Rosenberg ’10 said that for her, the event was about more than just learning how to correctly dress in drag; it was a chance to appreciate the art behind it and to allow her to experiment with her gender.

Rosenberg said that the TTF supported the drag workshop because it is trying to raise awareness of the fact there are people out there “who don’t fit into boxes of male or female.”

Echoing this sentiment, Women’s Center Director Susan B. Marine said she hoped students would learn that gender is something that can be playful.

Gender “is not just what we all wake up with, it’s fun and creative. I hope workshops like these let people explore things that sometimes aren’t typically encouraged,” she said.

Morgan L. Haven-Tietze ’10 said she attended the workshop for fun and partially out of curiosity.

Haven-Tietze is a regular attendee of the Women Center’s activities and said she was excited that there was an event in which issues involving the Women’s Center, the TTF and the QSA could be discussed in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

After the event, Miracchi said, “we live in a very gendered society and I hope people just felt like there are avenues to explore new sides of themselves.”