Photos by Tzav Harrel ’24.
Left: Mickey Pope ’23 and Steph Maldonado ’23 speak at Drag Ball. Right: a group of dancers perform onstage. FAMILIA, a support network for LGBTQ+ students of color, held Drag Ball on April 23.
By Siona Ahuja ’24
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Drag Ball made a comeback on April 23 after two years of hiatus due to COVID-19. Hosted by FAMILIA, Mount Holyoke’s support network for LGBTQ+ people of color, Drag Ball 2022 and its theme, “Gods and Goddesses,” celebrated the rich tradition of drag as a means to cultivate a “safe space for queer youth of color,” as described by the blog All Gay Long. Drag queen Sophya Medina, a New York-based makeup artist who won Miss Mundo Latina USA 2021, opened and closed the performances. Other performers included University of Massachusetts Amherst’s fusion dance group Dhadak, along with Mount Holyoke’s Jhumka, Holy Street and Rainbow Jelly.