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Queer excellence takes center stage at CSU’s annual drag show

Allie Seibel and Cait Mckinzie

April 11, 2025

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie

Khrys’taaal opens her first performance at the Colorado State University Drag Show April 6. The Denver-based performer was the headliner for this year’s show.

The cast of Colorado State University’s annual drag show hit the stage with a splash of color and nostalgia in this year’s collection of Y2K-themed performances April 6.

Hosted by Fort Collins drag performers Krisa Gonna-L’Whor and Chocolat and headlined by Denver-based drag queen Khrys’taaal, the show continued its tradition of providing a space for all levels and types of drag. No matter where a performer was in their journey, they were welcomed to the stage to share in the joy and energy of the event.

Krisa Gonna-L’Whor and Chocolat announce the next number of the annual Colorado State University Drag Show April 6. This show marks their third year co-hosting the annual event. (Collegian | Cait Mckinzie)

“I think this is my favorite venue,” Chocolat said during a mid-show Q&A with audience members. “This is the venue I started in. It was because I came to a show that was being put on, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to do this. I’ve got to make this happen.'”

“Know that you’re not coming here to be judged. You are coming here to be loved.” -Chocolat, CSU Drag Show 2025 co-host

CSU students were among the performers on stage, some of whom had their first performance that night. During the Q&A, Krisa Gonna encouraged anyone in the audience interested in drag to get started whenever they can.

“Don’t wait for you to feel like you’re good, great or perfect at it, otherwise, you’ll never get started,” Krisa Gonna said. “Just go do it. You’ll learn on the way.”

Chocolat spoke to a similar sentiment, sharing that she deals with stage fright by remembering that the nature of drag is about self-love and authenticity. The crowd and other performers are there to be in the community and to uplift, not to tear anyone down.

“Know that you’re not coming here to be judged,” Chocolat said. “You are coming here to be loved.”

King Kase throws his jacket off during his performance with Ambrose at the annual Colorado State University Drag Show April 6. (The Collegian | Cait Mckinzie)

The show also served as a fundraiser for scholarships through the Pride Resource Center. According to Maggie Hendrickson, director of the PRC, the $4,000 donation goal was met that night through a combination of classic cash tips and Venmo donations.

“It was a special and meaningful night, and we were glad to spend it with hundreds of students, community members, alumni, families and more,” Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson said that events like the drag show are important for fostering queer community and acceptance on campus, especially given recent federal actions that have raised concerns about the future of events hosted by Cultural Resource Centers.

“It’s important now for people and institutions like CSU to publicly, proudly and loudly support all community members across gender, sexuality and more,” Hendrickson said. “The CSU drag show is just one way we made space for that last night.”

Hendrickson also noted the level of creativity performers displayed in their numbers, highlighting student performances’ choreography, narrative storytelling and costumes. Khrys’taaal’s performances capped off the first and second halves of the show in a way that further brought the audience together.

Khrys’taaal opens her first performance at the Colorado State University annual drag show April 6. (Collegian | Cait Mckinzie)

“We loved having Khrys’taaal back to perform in the show as our headliner,” Hendrickson said. “She closed the show with an important message about mental health and uplifting each other in our community, followed by a beautiful ballad to honor family members who had passed away.”

Khrys’taaal has performed all throughout Colorado for several years, now landing primarily in the Denver area; though, she started out in Fort Collins.

“I am here tonight by grace, with gratitude, and I thank each and every one of you for not forgetting about me and welcoming me back with open arms,” Khrys’taaal said. “I wanted to give all of that energy and love back and motivate you because, as Chocolat said, these are some really crappy times now.”

It has been a few years since she has performed at the CSU Drag Show due to a series of personal events, but the crowd did not hesitate to welcome her home.

“As a gay, Black drag queen, I know the struggle because they counted me out,” Khrys’taaal said. “I’m from Detroit. They said I would never graduate high school; they said I would never go to college; they said I would never do this. But because of you investing in me every single year I was in Denver, you guys put me through grad school. So thank you.”

Khrys’taal closed the show, reiterating a message of hope and resiliency.

“No matter what the circumstances are right now, we will make it,” Khrys’taaal said. “Trust me — I’m a living example that when you want to give up, though, hold on just a little longer.”

Reach Cait Mckinzie and Allie Seibel at entertainment@collegian.com or on Social Media @CSUCollegian.

About the Contributors

Allie Seibel, Editor in Chief

Returning for her second year as editor-in-chief, Allie Seibel could not be more proud of the experience The Collegian has given her over her tenure at Colorado State University thus far. Seibel is a junior in the Honors program and on the prelaw track, studying journalism and media communication with minors in legal studies and business administration. She is also an Honors ambassador and an Honors peer mentor as well as a satellite imagery writer for the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at CSU and a member of the Center for Public Deliberation. Seibel started at The Collegian the summer before her first semester of college, getting involved through her orientation session and beginning her first year as news editor. She got the position before ever setting foot on campus as a student, which was one of the most formative experiences of her collegiate journalism career. She then began her current role her sophomore year, becoming the youngest editor-in-chief in Collegian history. Under Seibel’s leadership, The Collegian was awarded an all-around best in show fifth place award at the College Media Association’s national convention. Seibel is from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and spends her free time reading, cooking, cross-stitching, paddleboarding and taking photos. She is a huge traveler and seizes any opportunity she can to see the world. As she begins her second year at the helm of The Collegian, Seibel is excited to continue the immense legacy of the newspaper both in print and online by expanding investigative coverage and pushing readers to discover more about their surroundings on campus. She looks forward to maintaining The Collegian’s reputation as a trustworthy news source both on campus and in the community.

Cait Mckinzie, Photo Director

Cait Mckinzie is a second-year student double majoring in art and journalism and media communication. She is one of two photo directors for the 2024-25 school year. Despite growing up in Renton, Washington, Mckinzie knew she wanted to go to Colorado State University since middle school. She had only ever been to Colorado twice, but she visited campus once, and that was all it took. At first, there wasn’t much in Fort Collins that Mckinzie was familiar with. But in high school, she was the co-head of visuals for her school newspaper, so she applied to The Collegian as a photographer to get back into a similar environment. Mckinzie was first introduced to photography by her grandfather, who has been a photographer most of his life. After he gifted Mckinzie her first camera in her junior year of high school, she began to take any assignment she could for her high school paper to improve her skills. Of all the memories made in her first year at CSU, most of the interesting ones came from The Collegian. One Halloween drag show assignment, a lot of mentorship and a few months of practice later, Mckinzie found herself being offered the position of photo director for the next academic school year. Mckinzie is excited for another year at The Collegian and aims to continue learning and growing during her time as one of the photo directors.

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