FAU’s annual drag show is going on for the second year under its rebranded name, “Owl Manor,” to comply with anti-DEI legislation by Ron DeSantis. 

New changes to the drag show that were implemented last year will also continue this year, with the show being closed to the general public and open to students, faculty, and staff 18 and older. A government-issued ID is required for entry.

The show will be held on Friday, Oct. 25 in the Student Union in the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are available here. They are free for FAU students and $5 for faculty and staff.

As Homecoming Director and health science senior Jelina Garcon says, the show must go on.

“I was scared because I remember, at one point, we thought there won't be funding for that event,” Garcon said. “But we kind of worked our way around it.”

She said that the wording of how events are proposed, with a de-emphasis on their diversity, can make it easier for the event to keep funding.

Garcon emphasized that even with these changes from last year staying in place, the performances of the over-a-decade running drag show will still stay the same engaging entertainment FAU students have known it for.

Giulia Fuentes, associate director of multicultural programming and history senior, said the show is especially meaningful to her as a queer student. She said FAU has a large number of queer students and organizations who are passionate about the drag show, and that it also introduces the culture to the general student body.

“I think Owl Manor is really, really important to introduce drag and a little bit of the history of drag and ballroom to our students,” Fuentes said.

She also emphasized that not only is the name change to avoid running afoul of DeSantis, it’s also to prevent students from having a target on their back - literally.

“Just trying to avoid putting the student body in danger, like thinking of unfortunately, the worst case scenarios, if some crazy person decided to come and attack at the show, we wanted to keep our students as safe as possible,” Fuentes said.

She said the show will also be utilizing metal detectors and a bag policy. Clear plastic or vinyl bags are required to speed up the security check-in process. Small clutch bags, about the size of a hand (no larger than 6 by 4 inches), are allowed. No bags larger than this size will be allowed.

Ariel Rimm, longtime host of the annual drag show and drag performer, said she lost a lot of money and contacts due to the DeSantis administration’s attempt to limit drag performances.

She said that having the drag show closed to the public affects the income of the performers and the show’s reach.

“It does feel like we are taking a step backwards in certain regards,” Rimm said. “However, I have to give credit to Florida Atlantic University for looking Florida politics in the face of adversity and moving forward with the show for another year. I think it’s a powerful message to the student population, the staff, and the faculty of Florida Atlantic University. It means they see us, they hear us, and they are fighting by our sides for LGBTQ+ issues.”

Velvet Lenore, Kat Wilderness, Rianna Petrone, and TP Lords will also be performing.

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