"Catholic College Teaches Students About ‘Drag Culture,’ an ‘Artistic Expression’"

cardinalnewmansociety.org

University of Dayton officials legitimized men dressing as women and performing on stage as “an artistic expression in our culture” in comments to The Cardinal Newman Society about an event held Easter Wednesday at the Catholic college that brought in an “educational drag troupe” to teach students about “drag culture.”

The event, “Rubi Girls: Transformation, An Interactive Experience,” featured the Dayton, Ohio,-based “comedic, charitable, and educational drag troupe” known as the Rubi Girls. The Rubi Girls are a “group of gay men in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s” who perform “charity-driven, comedic drag performances.” The group is comprised of “elementary school teachers, a clinical counselor, a filmmaker and business owners” who don women’s clothing and makeup for performances.

A flyer for the event provided the following description: “Want to know more about drag culture? Take a behind the scenes look at the transformative process of a drag queen. Get up close and personal with members of the Rubi Girls in an interactive event as you watch them transform before you.” The advertisement featured images of men dressed as women.

According to the flyer, the event was sponsored by the University of Dayton, the University’s Institute for Arts Nexus, the University of Dayton LGBTQ+ Support Services and Spectrum, the University of Dayton’s gay-straight alliance.

The event wasn’t the first time the University has promoted the Rubi Girls on campus. A documentary about the group was screened on campus in 2012, and a workshop featuring the troupe was held in 2014.