Red Lipstick and Size 11 Heels: Annual Cedar Falls Drag Show Fundraises in Style

Once a year, every seat, ledge and open spot on the floor is taken in the Maucker Union — no, not for an educational lecture or speaker, but for something a little more… glittery.

Red lipstick and size 11 heels filled the room last night as UNI Proud hosted their annual drag show, and I’ve gotta give the performers props — I don’t even know if I could walk in 5-inch heels, let alone dance in them. (Well, without falling off the stage, that is.)

The night was full of excitement, and for a good cause. The performers were not only showing students at UNI they have nothing to hide with this year’s theme, “Transparency,” but were raising money for a great cause while doing so. Every crinkled dollar tucked into a bra or taken out of a donator’s mouth went toward Community Aids Assistance Project (CAPP), a nonprofit group in Northeast Iowa.                 

The night couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. When the show was about to begin, an excited member of the group strutted past me in his low-cut black dress and heels, shouting, "It's gay time!"

Meanwhile, Courtney Michaels, reining empress of the state of Iowa and the outspoken host of the night, took the stage and immediately had the crowd cheering. If it wasn’t her attitude that the audience loved, it was the fact that she was shakin’ it like no other, making the gold Mardi Gras-looking strings of beads dangling off her dress go crazy.

The next performer of the night, “Lola Luster,” stole the show. Seriously.  Students were acting like there was a celebrity in their presence, and they were right. As Lola performed to a Britney Spears medley, flipping her hair around to choreographed dance moves, the crowd went wild. In fact, she got a standing ovation.

Lola wasn’t the only celebrity of the night. There were appearances by Justin Bieber and Chris Brown, LMFA-BRO (which I must say, had way better hair and was much more entertaining than LMFAO) and even Beyoncé. Yes, Beyoncé — backup dancers and all.

Many of the ladies flaunted their fake (but very realistic-looking) facial hair, LMFA-BRO stripped down to some very colorful spandex (which the audience didn’t seem to mind) and a rather buff member of the audience was asked by Courtney Michaels to come up on stage, where she proceeded to take his shirt off and make comments about wanting him to be her boyfriend.

And if you’re wondering, yes, he had something close to an 8-pack.

As usual, this event was an extreme success, just as it is every single year. In fact, I’ve never attended a show put on by UNI Proud that didn’t have people fighting for seats. With a group as passionate as them, they never do anything that isn't completely unforgettable.