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Have a strong opinion about something happening on campus or in Fort Collins? Want to respond to an article written on The Collegian? Write a Letter to the Editor by following the guidelines here.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Have a strong opinion about something happening on campus or in Fort Collins? Want to respond to an article written on The Collegian? Write a Letter to the Editor by following the guidelines here.

Letter to the editor submissions

Have a strong opinion about something happening on campus or in Fort Collins? Want to respond to an article written on The Collegian? Write a Letter to the Editor by following the guidelines here.

Gallery: CSU annual drag show raises LGBTQIA+ scholarship funds

Cait McKinzie, Staff Photographer

April 18, 2024

The performers at Colorado State University’s annual drag show gather onstage for a group photo at the end of the night April 14. “I hope this gave (the audience) a chance to feel joy and see there’s more than 1,000 people here who want them to be themselves and to love each other authentically,” CSU Pride Resource Center Director Maggie Hendrickson said.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Colorado State University Drag Show headliner Mirage takes the stage for a second performance April 14. Mirage was a contestant on Season 16 of the reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Krisa Gonna, one of the emcees for Colorado State University’s annual drag show, takes a microphone and talks to the audience after her second number of the night April 14. “I love to see the impact of what we do,” Krisa Gonna said. “Drag sometimes can make people think about stuff, and they will take something home, either something to think about or just the joy that we shared, and I love that.”

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
The crowd of Colorado State University’s Annual Drag show cheers, throws tips, and takes videos during a performance April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Michelle B. Misdemeanor stands on a chair in front of the cheering audience of Colorado State University’s Annual Drag Show April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Soña Rita lets a handful of collected tips fall to the stage during her performance at Colorado State University’s annual drag show April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Gucci Blaze performs at Colorado State University’s annual drag show in the Lory Student Center April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Reggie Fava and Dragonya Fly dance to “Fire” by Barns Courtney during their number at Colorado State University’s annual drag show April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Dragonya Fly throws a bundle of ribbon onto the stage during their performance with Reggie Fava at Colorado State University’s Annual Drag Show April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Rubye Moore walks off the stage and into the crowd during their performance at Colorado State University’s Annual Drag Show April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Colorado State University drag show headliner Mirage kneels onstage during her first number April 14. Mirage was a contestant in Season 16 of the reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Sapphire StaxXx Bloomee begins her performance at Colorado State University’s annual drag show April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Tooth Decay pauses on the stage during their number at Colorado State University’s Annual Drag Show in the Lory Student Center April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
MaveRick Smith takes a breath during the end of their performance at Colorado State University’s annual drag show April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Vegina Quartz Agna De Amantes performs to “Radioactive” by Marina at Colorado State University’s annual drag show in the Lory Student Center April 14. “I hope (the audience) took away the beauty and the art of drag,” Vegina Quartz said. “It’s not the scary thing that people make it out to seem.”

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Chocolat, one of the MCs for Colorado State University’s Annual Drag Show, starts off a shared number with Krisa Gonna April 14. “It’s always an amazing time,” she said. “The energy, the students, the community, everything is always on point. And it’s so wonderful to see everyone come together and so I can’t say anything but awesome things about it.”

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
The lights go down during King Kase’s number at Colorado State University’s Annual Drag Show to emphasize the lights on his wings April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
King Kase spreads rainbow wings during his performance at Colorado State University’s annual drag show in the Lory Student Center April 14.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Freya Misdemeanor moves through the crowd to gather tips during her number at Colorado State University’s annual drag show in the Lory Student Center April 14. Hosted by the Pride Resource Center, this show raises money for LGBTQIA+ scholarships offered to queer students.

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Ambrose performs at Colorado State University’s annual drag show in the Lory Student Center April 14. His performance was based on “Toxic Love” from the animated movie “FernGully: The Last Rainforest.”

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie

About the Contributor

Cait Mckinzie, Photo Director

Cait Mckinzie is a third-year student double majoring in art and journalism and media communication. She is the returning photo director for the 2025-26 school year. As an out-of-state student from Renton, Washington, there wasn’t much in Fort Collins Mckinzie was familiar with when she first started at Colorado State University. But in high school, she was the co-head of visuals for her school newspaper, so she applied to The Collegian as a photographer during her first year to get back into a similar environment. At the end of her year as a freelancer, she was trained by Milo Gladstein and Garrett Mogel, her photo directors, to take over Gladstein’s position when he graduated. She attributes most of her photojournalistic experience — and some of her sense of humor — to them. Most of Mckinzie’s photography experience, though, comes from her grandfather. A photographer for most of his life, he gifted Mckinzie her first camera in her junior year of high school and taught her how to use it. With his guidance, she improved her skills during high school enough to get her to The Collegian, a paper that now takes up a large amount of her time. Mckinzie is excited for another year at The Collegian and aims to make her photo desk one Gladstein and Mogel would be proud of.

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