Miss Gay IU to celebrate 20 years, ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal

Miss Gay IU, OUT’s annual drag performance, will make its return to Alumni Hall at 7 p.m. today.

The theme for this year’s show, titled Miss Gay IU Legacy, is “War Can Be Such a Drag” in honor of “don’t ask, don’t tell” being repealed.

OUT President Robert Clayton said MGIU Legacy is a commemorative event, celebrating the repeal as well as 20 years of the contest and 30 years of the organization.

It won’t be your typical MGIU, he said. In fact, there won’t even be a winner crowned. Instead, it will be a celebration of drag and OUT.

“We’re going to focus on the past 20 years but also celebrate the relationship OUT has had with the Bloomington community throughout the past three decades,” Clayton said.

Many former Miss Gay IU winners are set to appear, as are entertainers from throughout the city and IU, including the Bleeding Heartland Rollergirls, the Different Drummer Belly Dancers and Miss Indiana Gabrielle Reed.

The event comes at the end of a rough year for OUT that has seen the organization battle debt from last year’s MGIU, which took place at the pricier IU Auditorium.

Clayton said he is optimistic about the future, however, and hopes tonight’s performance can help the organization regain its footing.

“This is the most important event OUT has had in a long time,” Clayton said. “OUT has been kind of hanging on the brink and this is a real turning point.”

-- Jake New