Scarlet Fever In Charlotte
Did you attend a university or college? Did you enjoy those years? I loved everything about being a student, the classes, the parties and especially the camaraderie.
Quite by chance I found myself back on a university campus, the environment where I spent several years studying and then working. This was not my old university but I enjoyed the event and the obvious enthusiasm and support of the youthful audience. It brought back memories of good times and of angst.
It is strange that I was there at all. For that I can thank my golf-loving partner and the Internet search giant, Google.
Yearly as our miserable Canadian winter weather stretches in to March my partner gets the urge to head south to find get an early start on the golf season. I am glad to go along. Sometimes the trips are to Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head. I go along to play golf and get a bit of ‘Linda time’ while we are on the road.
This year she suggested we visit some golf courses in Alabama known as the Robert Trent Jones Trail, a series of courses designed by that famed course designer. Playing the RTJ Trail for a golfer is like me visiting a series of dress shops featuring Joseph Ribcoff fashions each with a Henry Margu wig shop next door.
t was left to me to plan how we would drive to Alabama and where we would stay along the way. One stop was in Fredericksburg VA. We played golf and Linda got to do some serious shopping (well, trying on anyway).
Our next stop could have been anywhere between Raleigh/Durham and Atlanta. That is where Google came in. I’d visited Raleigh and Atlanta before so I looked at Charlotte. Keying in ‘drag clubs Charlotte’ brought lots of references to Scorpio’s, Club Mixx and Central Station. It looked as if Charlotte offered lots of possibilities for t-friendly clubs. It had well earned its nickname, the ‘Queen City.’ However nothing looked too promising for a Thursday night, the night we would be there. That’s when my attention was drawn to this reference:
Scarlet Fever Drag Show – AIDS Walk Charlotte Fundraiser | Campus …
Event Description: Event: Scarlet Fever Where: STUN 340 When: 7:30PM – March 31st Come join UNC Charl…?campusevents.uncc.edu/events/1439
There would be a charity drag show at the UNC -Charlotte student center on Thursday, March 31st, the very evening we would be in Charlotte. The drag show would be a fund raiser for AIDS Walk Charlotte. This teaser caught my attention:
Watch both professional entertainers as well as your favorite faculty and students perform your favorite songs in drag! All proceeds go to AIDS Walk Charlotte!
Doors open at 7:30 and the show starts at 8!? Show starts at 8? I loved it. Drag shows typically start around midnight, way past my bed time.
It was easy then to find a good hotel in the university area, arrive in time, get dressed to go out, treat my wife to a good dinner before heading over to the show. It promised to be an interesting time and the show did not disappoint. There was an endless line of performers playing to a supportive student audience.
Highlights:
• The co-MC’s, Tedisha and Ferocia, were clever, funny and relatively clean. They were also part of the university community and known to the students.
• The professional performers such as Emory Starr and Chea Allen were very polished.
• The amateurs didn’t disappoint with their talent, either.
• The newly-elected student government leaders were there to support and participate in the event. They seemed to receive the best applause.
• Drag Kings ranked close seconds.
• The music tended to be the hip hop and club mix music favoured by today’s youth. Thankfully for this Canadian there was one lively Shania Twain number by Chloe Grant..
• The 300 plus students were generous in their tipping and performers were generous in donating their time.
• The event raised $2000 for AIDS Walk Charlotte.
It was an enjoyable evening giving me a glimpse in to the modern student life, just as spirited as back in my day but certainly more supportive of the GBLT minority. It was also a plus that then event ended early enough for us to be up early to visit a local golf course before heading to Birmingham and the RTJ trail. See you on the links!
Category: Transgender Fun & Entertainment
About the Author (Author Profile)
Canadian writer Linda Jensen is a long time contributor to TGForum. Before the days of the Internet Linda started her writing with the Transvestian newspaper. Her writing ranges from factual accounts of her adventures to fiction although frankly sometimes her real life adventures are stranger than the fiction. Linda is married to a loving partner who upon learning about Linda said, "she was part of you before I met you. Although I didn't know it she was part of the package I fell in love with. I don't want to mess up that package." "Does it get any better than that?" asks Linda.Subscribe
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