Halloween-themed drag bingo night: Coastal drag queen Xa’Mona Tenáe hosts bingo

Coastal Activities Board (CAB) alongside the Intercultural and Inclusion Student Services (IISS) organized the University’s second Halloween Drag Bingo on Oct. 24 at the student theater.

Drag queen Xa’Mona Tenáe hosted up to 230 participants who competed for prizes such as a slow cooker, gift card and printer. Although this remains a relatively new event on campus, there was an incredibly large turnout with many students returning from last year’s event. Costumes were not required, but a large majority of participants still arrived in extravagant costumes, showing their commitment to the event.

CAB’s Assistant Director of Performances, Terrence Wright, said he hoped to bring “different groups of people to our events” and to spread “the message of fun as well as inclusivity.”

“It was great that they also allowed non-CCU students because it allowed a lot of networking for queer folks and anyone who liked drag,” Sophomore Chris Sampson said.

Tenáe interacted with the crowd and had conversations with groups of friends who attended. While the event had a sense of widespread camaraderie there was a short disruption caused by two students who wore signs that asked, “What is a woman?” They were told to leave or be removed from the event by campus security, the crown applauded when they left the event.

Turning Point USA, a conservative organization, posted on its Instagram and said kicking these students out violated their right to free speech. One of the students in the picture posted to the group’s Instagram appears to be TPUSA President Ryne Stark, however the post also stated they were not acting on behalf of the organization.