Featuring drag performers, DJs, casino games, and entertainment, GMHC hosted a “Drag Royale” event at Manhattan’s City Winery on Oct. 5 as part of a fundraiser that also sought to support drag entertainers at a time when they have been under siege and targeted by anti-LGBTQ legislation.
Attendees received chips to play games such as blackjack, poker, and roulette, and they also enjoyed an open bar with appetizers while they were entertained by drag artists Cacophony Daniels, Dev Doee, Jackie Cox, Jax, and Paige Turner, with Doee serving as host. Trevor Fox served as the DJ for the evening.
The fundraiser brought in money to support GMHC, which is a prominent HIV/AIDS service organization based in New York City.
Kishani Moreno, GMHC’s interim CEO and chief operation officer, said ahead of the event that the organization was “thrilled” to host the new casino night — the first such event held by GMHC.
“Presently, drag queens are being scapegoated for their artistic work through the enforcement of anti-drag legislation and by other forms of discrimination across the US,” Moreno said. “GMHC is not new to people being needlessly stigmatized and shamed. Addressing social injustice is infused in our work with the communities we serve.”
See some photos from the event below:
