Higher Education, Culture & the Family

OU drag show declared one of nation’s largest

April 5, 2023

Ray Carter

According to officials at the University of Oklahoma, the school’s annual “Crimson & Queens” drag show is not only “the largest annual drag show in Oklahoma” but also “one of the largest collegiate drag shows in the U.S.”

In drag shows, performers impersonate men or women while dancing and singing/lip synching. The programs are often dominated by male performers dressed as women and are noted for hyper-sexualized makeup, garb, and body movements.

This year’s Crimson & Queens event will take place on April 28 in the McCasland Field House “to accommodate the growing size audience,” according to the OU website.

The university reports that last year’s event had over 900 attendees. OU reported having 26,695 students enrolled on its Norman campus for Spring 2023.

The headliner for this year’s show will be Yvie Oddly, winner of the 11th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. In addition, the show will include 10 student-and-local performers, according to an email sent to students.

The OU website notes that Oddly was named one of the most powerful drag queens in June 2019 by New York Magazine because of Oddly’s “ability to push the boundaries of drag performance art.”

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education has asked lawmakers to provide an additional $105 million in state taxpayer funding this year to state colleges, including OU.

[For more stories about higher education in Oklahoma, visit AimHigherOK.com.]