Calling all drag lovers — UW-Eau Claire’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) is hosting “House of Blugold: a drag ball extravaganza” on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in Davies Student Center’s Ojibwe Ballroom. 

The new event follows the cancellation of the annual The Fire Ball, which has been going on for more than a decade. In a Jan. 13 letter posted on Facebook, GSRC Director Kallie Friede wrote that the cancellation is due to several staff members being on leave during the semester.

“I understand that this news may be disappointing,” Friede wrote. “Please know that this decision was not made lightly.”

Speculation about whether the event would be cancelled circulated this past fall, when UW-Eau Claire eliminated the former Center for Restorative Practices, the position of director Catherine Emmanuelle and the separate interim position of Chris Jorgenson, a founder and longtime organizer of The Fire Ball.

Friede clarified in an interview that Jorgenson is still employed at the university and is on leave through February. While Jorgenson’s current role as the executive director for diversity, inclusion and leadership remains separate from The Fire Ball and House Of Blugold events, Friede said she and the GSRC are glad they can carry on the tradition of holding a drag ball on campus.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about how we cultivate joy as an act of resistance and how that really helps people sustain through the challenging moments,” Friede said.

House of Blugold will be free to the public, with any voluntary donations going to Feed My People Food Bank. 

UW-Eau Claire alumnus and drag performer Tiffani Aura is helping to organize the event in addition to performing. 

Aura, who was instrumental in putting on drag performances on upper campus prior to graduating this past December, said House of Blugold will feature drag performers from around the Chippewa Valley, including five college students and high school student performers.

“I’m focused on just making sure the students feel comfortable and feel welcome in this environment so they’re not just thrown into it,” Aura said.

According to Aura, the addition of student performers is an element that is unique to House of Blugold, as The Fire Ball did not feature students. She said this inclusion is especially valuable to young drag performers looking to break their way into the scene.

“Drag is a hard thing to get into especially when you’re under the age of 21, and when you get to see this amazing event happen every year but you can’t really be a part of it just because you’re a student,” Aura said.

Friede said she hopes the fact that there is no charge for the event will make it more accessible for students to attend.

“For community members, the price of any ticketed event on campus isn’t as much of a barrier,” Friede said. “But for college students, anything that costs money is a pretty big barrier to going.”

House of Blugold will “return to the roots” of how The Fire Ball began, Friede said, with the showcase set to spotlight familiar performers from the community. Amber Hudson, Felicia Ashton, Diablo, and Shay are just a few of the faces audience members may recognize from past Fire Ball events.

According to Aura, Wisconsin has lost several popular drag venues in recent years, including the state’s oldest drag bar, This Is It! in Milwaukee and The ReMixx in Neenah, Wisconsin. When she first heard that The Fire Ball had been cancelled, Aura said she saw it as yet another loss for the drag community.

“It hurt,” Aura said. “It sucked. So, I’m glad we’re still doing something.”

Aura said The Fire Ball was one of the reasons she chose to attend UW-Eau Claire. She said she has seen a back-and forth from the university’s administration in terms of queer student support.

“I think given the current administration, it’s really hard for (the university),” Aura said. “However, the people that I work with and the people that I was associated with or had contact with have always been very supportive and have always done their best to make whatever they can happen.”

Friede said the GSRC is looking forward to House of Blugold, and that she hopes to see lots of students in attendance.

Wojahn can be reached at [email protected].