As Sister Marcee DeSaude strode down the runway in knee-high leather boots, the audience cheered and applauded.
DeSaude lip-synced Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” in a humorous drag show rendition, making fun of the famous singer’s age.
The Zion Curtain Sisters, a Utah based group of drag queens, performed at the Weber State University Davis campus Friday night.
“Our goal is HIV awareness, homeless youth outreach, suicide prevention and bringing more awareness to all of that,” said DeSaude, also known as Chris Trujillo, a founding member of the Zion Curtain Sisters.
The Sisters have been in Utah for four years, actively participating in pride festivals, suicide walks, AIDS walks and more.
“In a way, we’re gay nuns,” Trujillo said. “Some people think we’re mocking nuns; we’re not. We’re a charity organization, so we basically do the same thing as a nun but we add humor to it.”
Trujillo also hopes the Sisters’ work promotes respect and reduces stereotyping among the LGBT community.
“Out of this, everybody thinks I’m straight,” Trujillo said, pointing to his outfit and makeup. “I’m gay, but I don’t have to act a certain way.”
The Davis Drag event was a fundraising effort to collect donations for the Youth Futures Shelter Home in Ogden.
“We serve homeless, unaccompanied and runaway youth ages 12 to 17,” said Executive Director of Youth Futures Kristen Mitchell. “We’re excited to be open and have kids coming in and be able to get some of these kids off the street.”
Youth Futures, located at 2760 Adams Ave. in Ogden, provides a safe environment with 14 beds, three meals a day, shower and laundry facilities, a pick-up service and more.
Over 100 people attended the event, which raised a total of $215 for Youth Futures.
“Probably the majority of our population hasn’t been to a drag show before, so I thought it would be really cool,” said Esperanza Brown, Event Program Coordinator at the Davis campus. “It’s mainly just a show to get everyone’s attention about Youth Futures and also provide LGBT resources to the community as well.”
Brown said many members of the LGBT community aren’t aware of the resources they have available to them. As a member of the LGBT community, she hopes her event showcases the support that exists.
“There’s a lot of people around this area that I know personally that are scared to come out because Utah is very conservative,” Brown said. “I kind of wanted to make this fun and not as scary for people to come and check out the resources they have available.”
The WSU LGBT Resource Center, Gay-Straight Alliance, Utah AIDS Foundation and the Utah Pride Center all had information booths set up at the event.
Sister Spyd’a Webb, or Stephen Bolinder, said he was happy to raise awareness and be a part of the drag event.
“We walk into a room, and it demands attention,” Bolinder said. “Being able to do that is one of my favorite things.”
