Making a fierce arrival on Feb. 26 and 27 is UW-Eau Claire’s drag ball extravaganza, The Fire Ball: Stripped.

Headliners Kennedy Davenport and Katya from RuPaul’s drag race will push the boundaries of the community comfort level with gender identity and expression via jaw dropping performances. Located in the Ojibwe Ballroom in Davies, The Fire Ball won’t only offer entertainment but an environment full of inspiration and a call to action.

The Fire Ball serves to support social justice advocacy on campus when lack of funds prohibit a student from being able to do so. All the proceeds coming from the drag show fund the Women’s and LGBTQ Resource Center to help send ambitious students on their social justice quests. The Fire Ball has enabled student to go on trips such as the Eau Queer Film Festival in San Francisco, the Civil Rights Pilgrimage and women’s leadership conferences.

Christopher Jorgenson, director of Women’s and LGBTQ Resource Center, said if a student wants to get involved in something related to social justice advocacy, then money should not be an issue. He wants the audience to leave The Fire Ball not only entertained but wanting to make a difference.

“We’re going to be using The Fire Ball as a way to get people to understand the lived experiences of not only those all around the United States and the world but those on campus,” Jorgenson said. “It’s for people for whom oppression and lack of privilege is a daily experience.”

The club venue and open bar will make The Fire Ball a casual and eccentric experience for all who attend under the slogan “Come as you are. Come as you want to be.”

However, it will also allow students to explore and experiment with who they are and want to be in a creative way.
All varieties of people are encouraged to attend The Fire Ball, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, or any type of identity to watch drag kings and drag queens strut their stuff on the illuminated stage, Jorgenson said.

The Fire Ball gives students the opportunity to see various types of drag performances.

“If you don’t think Fire Ball is for you because you feel strongly about drag but have never been to a drag show, you’re exactly the type of person that should buy a ticket,” Jorgenson said. “I’ve never had anyone go who has had a negative experience.”