DragU Downtown Returns, and So Does the Crowd

As the first pair of heels clicked down the staged runway set in the middle of a gymnasium typically used for basketball practice, the energy among spectators rose into a roar. Music blared from speakers set around the room, and the queen commanding attention never missed a beat as she lip-synced to every word. For some in the crowd, it was their first time seeing a drag queen perform. For others, it was a familiar experience.

For several people, it was the moment they finally exhaled a breath they had been holding for more than a year.

Arizona State University’s DragU Downtown event returned to campus last month after being canceled 48 hours before showtime a year earlier. The cancellation cited incomplete paperwork and a lack of security. It came as the federal government was in the early stages of pressuring public universities to cut diversity, equity and inclusion-related initiatives, with threats to funding if institutions did not comply. ASU’s decision drew criticism across the university community, including social media posts from employees and a public letter from the president of the university’s LGBTQ+ faculty-staff association condemning the cancellation.

DragU Downtown offers students an opportunity to experience a drag show while learning about show etiquette, drag history and how the community has evolved over time. Events like this take months to coordinate, and after the 2025 cancellation, the planning team worked to ensure it would not happen again. LOOKOUT writer Ben Haynes spoke with Meg McDermott, a graduate support coordinator at ASU who oversees DragU Downtown, to learn more about the event, its history and why its return matters.

Ben Haynes (LOOKOUT): For those unfamiliar, what is DragU Downtown?

Meg McDermott: DragU has always been a student-led, student-run event that creates a space where ASU students can experience drag in a welcoming, educational way. It is not just a show, but also an intentional learning opportunity about drag culture, etiquette and history. Our staff recruits several local drag artists to come to campus for the event, and we work closely with them to ensure their performances and insights provide a meaningful experience for everyone in attendance.

DragU has been hosted on the downtown Phoenix campus for several years, but I got involved after the 2023 show. I supervised the student worker who organized the show and told them that if they needed support the next year, I would be happy to help. I have experience in event management and several connections to the Phoenix drag community, and it felt like a good fit.

LOOKOUT: Why is this kind of space important on a college campus?

McDermott: I think back to the first drag show I ever went to. It was a transformative experience. There was an overwhelming sense of authenticity and joy in the air. I remember how freely the performers expressed themselves and how the crowd supported them unconditionally. It felt unlike anything I had experienced before.

Knowing that I can bring that experience to students, especially those who may not otherwise have access to it, means everything to me. It gives them a place to just be.

LOOKOUT: Let’s talk about the 2025 show. You helped plan that show to be bigger and better than ever, and then it didn’t happen. What were the first warning signs?

McDermott: There were no warning signs. The rug was essentially pulled out from under us. We had a planned schedule of events for the week leading up to the drag show, starting with a screening of Paris Is Burning and a discussion of drag history on Tuesday evening, a drag brunch on Wednesday morning and the official show Wednesday night.

On Tuesday morning, as I was getting ready for work, I received a call from my student event leader, who said he had just been informed that the university was canceling the event and that there was nothing they could do. After I realized it was not a joke, I thought, “Absolutely not. They will not do this.”

I immediately called our faculty advisor for the event, who agreed we were not canceling. From there, he and I dropped everything and set up a boardroom in my office, which became our “situation room” for the next two days as we tried to figure everything out.

LOOKOUT: What reasons did the university give for the cancellation?

McDermott: There was a lot of mixed information. It came down to paperwork not being submitted on time. The university requires all paperwork to be submitted two weeks before the event, and we submitted ours 13 days before. They also cited safety concerns and said we lacked an adequate safety plan. That was not accurate. We had hired private security from the Arizona Center, installed metal detectors and put in additional safety measures. An executive leadership representative for the downtown campus also joined our security walkthrough and approved everything in advance, so the reasoning did not add up.

The timing was notable, given that universities receiving federal funding were being questioned and threatened over DEI-related practices.

LOOKOUT: So the event is canceled, and you have called the performers and vendors. Students are disappointed. Was there ever a moment when you felt like walking away?

McDermott: Never. I do not accept “no” for an answer. I will not allow our community to be erased or silenced. I started thinking about how to make sure this would not happen again, and the idea of a nonprofit came to mind. If we created one, we would not have to rely on ASU for support, and we could operate differently.

I began contacting community partners, starting with The Queer Center, which agreed to take our team under its wing. After joining forces with them, we launched “Drag University,” a nonprofit focused on providing students with educational opportunities on queer history and access to safe spaces and resources.

LOOKOUT: How did it feel to see DragU Downtown return this spring?

McDermott: It was incredibly rewarding. The turnout was strong, the energy was there, and it meant a lot to people to have these spaces available. It felt like a win in the middle of the challenges the federal government has created for the LGBTQ+ community over the past year. Many students were experiencing drag for the first time, and watching their faces light up when the performers interacted with them made everything worth it.

It reminded us why we do this work and gave us the drive to keep creating these spaces in the future.

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