Ali Schmitz
In Motion Staff Writer
Photo by: Lisa Silversmith/In Motion
Raunchy dancing, dollar bills, and a hollering audience aren’t usually seen at a school-sponsored event.
The Daytona State Gay Straight Alliance made an exception to the rule during their collaborative event with Volusia Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays or PFLAG. “Welcome to Divas: Then and Now,” a drag show, brought a nearly sold-out crowd to the Davidson Theater at The News-Journal Center on Oct. 25.
Gassy Winds, “The Queen Mother of Key West,” was the special headliner for the event. Local talent Reagan Jones emceed, performing as well as interjecting jokes and stories in between each performance. This was Jones’s last event, since she is retiring from the business. Her “Drag Daughter,” BriAnna Jones, made her debut too. Samantha Stone, Simone Vee, Sierra Fox and Gigi also performed. Performances featured songs by Whitney Houston, Tina Turner and other legendary female performers.
“When the show sold out last year in the small theater I was very surprised, so when they told us we were going to have the big theater I didn’t think that we could fill it up that much. The turn-out was really amazing,” GSA member Alejandro Acevedo said.
All proceeds for the event went to Daytona State’s scholarship fund.