Texas Christian University offers a class on drag queens to explore the world of queer culture.

Texas Christian University Offers Course on the “Queer Art of Drag”

Texas Christian University is excited to announce a groundbreaking course on the “Queer Art of Drag.” This course aims to explore drag performance as a powerful outlet for social critique, pedagogy, and the creation of queer worlds.

Meet the Instructor: Nino Testa

Leading this course is the talented Nino Testa, who goes by the pronouns he/him in his everyday life. However, when he transforms into his captivating drag persona, “Maria von Clapp,” she prefers to be addressed as she/her.

“The gender binary is enforced through compulsory norms, harassment, and violence in service of a white-cis-heteropatriarchy,”

The syllabus for the spring 2023 course boldly challenges societal norms, emphasizing that by theatricalizing gender, we can expand the possibilities of the queer worlds we inhabit.

Unleash Your Creativity

As part of this course, students will receive a generous $100 budget to purchase their own drag costumes. They will have the exciting opportunity to create their own unique drag personas and showcase their performances in the annual drag show hosted by our esteemed Protestant school.

To further develop their drag personas, students will maintain a “drag worksheet” where they will brainstorm a name, description, and a fabulous “drag greeting.” Strike a pose and let your imagination run wild!

Engaging Course Materials

This course is made possible through the support of an “Inclusive Excellence Grant” from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Students will explore thought-provoking readings such as “The Gender Binary Is a Tool of White Supremacy” by Kravitz Marshall, “Drag pedagogy: The playful practice of queer imagination in early childhood” by Harper Keenan and Lil Miss Hot Mess, and “Queer Childhoods and Drag Race” by Mary Zaborskis.

Additionally, students will have the opportunity to watch captivating video performances by renowned drag artists like “LaWhore Vagistan” and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group that recently gained recognition during a gay pride celebration.

A Collaborative Learning Experience

The Department of Women & Gender Studies, in collaboration with community partners at the Gender Resource Office, The End, Spectrum, Westside Unitarian Church, local drag performers, and LGBTQ organizations in Fort Worth, has curated a series of opportunities to enhance campus vocabulary and deepen understanding of drag history and practice.

For more information, please visit TCU’s website.

Neither Testa nor TCU have responded to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.

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