A number of North Texans once again gathered at The Shops at Legacy in Plano to attend a drag brunch Sunday afternoon.
PepperSmash hosted another iteration of its Sass & Smash Drag Brunch. The 18+ event, hosted by drag queen Adecia Lush, took place from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Drag performers danced and interacted with guests, receiving cash tips and performing acrobatic feats. There was also a birthday celebration for one of the drag queens, complete with a cake.
Attendees also participated in the antics, taking part in a twerking competition and a beer-chugging contest dubbed the “throat goat game.” One patron even put on the garb of one of the performers and danced.
Drag has prompted some consternation in Texas, whether due to some shows being open to attendees of all ages or for allegedly being inherently misogynistic. West Texas A&M University president Walter Wendler, for instance, canceled a show last year, claiming drag was “derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny.”
Jon Kilburn, owner of PepperSmash previously told The Dallas Express that he himself was not misogynistic and that he saw such performances as a way for people to express their inner selves.
Adecia Lush said that she believed that drag was, in fact, the opposite of misogyny, arguing that it was a form of art.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that we have an agenda, and I see that everywhere. We don’t have an agenda,” Lush told DX. “We are just a community living in our arts, living in our uniforms that want to express ourselves in a way that most people don’t understand and don’t care.”
Another attendee at the show on Sunday also spoke positively about drag as performance art.
“As a straight Latina woman who’s obsessed with the art of drag, I want to provide a positive place for the community where they can express themselves freely,” said Paulina Garza, director of marketing and entertainment for the House of Lush. “This is about love, authenticity, and supporting one another.”