The Back Door club and the Handsome Devil Bespoke Vintage came together to present the event “The Guys and Dolls Drag/Gender Queer Fashion Show and Pop-Up Sale.”
This event will be taking place at 7 p.m. tonight at the Back Door bar in Bloomington. The main objective for the fashion show and clothing drive is to benefit transgender youth in the area.
The show will be set up as a cocktail and dance party, with the fashion show containing performances done by drag kings and queens. The Handsome Devil will be doing services such as selling menswear, measuring suit sizes and offering various other beauty services to the general public.
According to the event’s press release, the whole spring event is structured to symbolize community acceptance and diversity through style and identity.
Dan Baucco, the owner of Handsome Devil and one of the organizers of the event, said he decided to formulate the event due to his yearning to see people get dressed and express themselves differently than they would at any other event in Bloomington.
“My interest is creating events to get people to dress up and see them embrace themselves for who they are,” Baucco said. “I think everybody should have the opportunity to dress and represent themselves and have options. I don’t want them to feel like they are trapped and not have a choice.”
Baucco said he was influenced by his family and friends to create this event. In preparation, he said that audience members are encouraged to participate in the fashion show as well as be the stars. He said anyone attending should dress up in their own style beforehand so they can represent themselves for who they are.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to not only look sharp, but to also feel beautiful and be proud of their style,” Baucco said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and be an exciting evening with everyone feeling great and expressing their attitude.”
Besides selling menswear and services, the Handsome Devil also has the mission of locally attempting to tie in various businesses and introduce customers to events such as “The Guys and Dolls Drag/Gender Queer Fashion Show and Pop-Up Sale.”
The Back Door is a local gay bar that has had many events in the past that raised awareness to the LGBT community in Bloomington.
The show will feature several special guests including Miss Gay Indiana 2010 Cassidy Fellows-Sommers and DJ Mitchco a Go Go. There will also be an array of drag show performers from Bloomington.
Admission is free with a suggested money or clothing donation. The event is only reserved for individuals who are 21-years-old and over.
Baucco said he is looking forward to seeing the audience take part in the show and the various talents who will be taking part in the drag show performances. He said that there are not a lot of other events like this that can be found in Bloomington and that it is something people should go to.
“Everybody needs to dress up and get out more. They need to express themselves and be a part of this community,” Baucco said. “It is an alternative to the usual entertainment people do here. We want to show off our trans youth support and teach our children that they are accepted for who they are and that the adults have their back.”
