The University of Wisconsin-Madison included a drag brunch bingo event in its official welcome-week programming for new students, according to an exclusive report by the student news outlet The Madison Federalist.
The “Drag Brunch Bingo” was held Sept. 6 in Memorial Union and co-hosted by the Office of Student Transition and Family Engagement and the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center, The Madison Federalist reported. Four performers — billed as Cowphusia Mylkhymn, Malaiya Marvel, Krystal Kuttabish and Cynthia Mooseknuckle — appeared at the event.
Caitlyn LoMonte, director for student success, education and dialogue at the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center, opened with a presentation defining drag terms and listing “drag etiquette,” including a reminder to “leave your assumptions at the door” because “drag is all about challenging norms and expectations,” the outlet reported.
One performer repeatedly called an audience member a “twink” and described the game as “good Christian bingo with good Christian values,” The Madison Federalist reported. The same performer told players to scream “bingo” “like you’re faking something” and joked during a “tops and bottoms” round that all the men in Madison are “bottoms.” Performers walked among tables collecting tips.
Wisconsin Welcome is a multi-week series of more than 400 events for first-year and transfer students. Campus spokesperson Gillian Drummond told The Madison Federalist the celebration is meant to help students “discover Madison, meet fellow Badgers, and to find their campus community,” and that events are organized and funded by campus departments, student groups and community organizations. Drummond did not specify how the bingo event was funded or why it was selected for the official welcome calendar.
The Gender and Sexuality Campus Center, which co-sponsored the event and staffed a table with stickers and pamphlets, says it works to “affirm, include, and celebrate people across the spectrum of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.”
