The only uniform students normally see junior Jason Soppe wearing is his Simpson men’s basketball uniform, but tonight students will have the opportunity to witness Soppe in quite different attire.

LGBTQA will be holding its annual drag show tonight in the Brenton Student Center Gallery at 9 p.m., and Soppe will be one of its many participants. Junior Bryan Hoke, president of LGBTQA, expects a good reaction to the show this year.

“The drag show is held to celebrate diversity and acceptance but also to have a campus-wide impact,” Hoke said.

The show has definitely had an impact on Soppe.

“I expect to get out [of] my comfort zone and experience something I am not too sure about,” Soppe said.

Hoke agrees the drag show is providing students, like Soppe, an experience to get out of their element.

“It offers participants a unique sneak-peek into understanding what it is like to be transgendered or a member of the opposite gender,” Hoke said.

Participants will be trying to look their best as a member of the opposite sex for the show and Soppe is no exception.

“I plan on shaving some body hair to show off my sexy chicken legs,” Soppe said. “It will be fun to see how hot of a girl I will make.”

The drag show is not just a fashion show; it offers friendly competition to participants.

“The top three participants will win cash prizes ranging from $50 to $100,” sophomore Scott Muxfeldt said.

Although Hoke agrees the show provides a great time and some prizes, it’s not just performers who will profit from the show. LGBTQA is also using the event to raise money for the AIDS Project of Central Iowa.

Members of the group are hoping for a large participant and audience turnout tonight.

“The audience is invited to tip the performers, so more participants means more money for the AIDS Project,” Muxfeldt said. “Participants will be doing their best to raise money for the AIDS Project and for themselves, so competition may be tough.”

Participants are required to dress as a member of the opposite gender and perform or lip sync a song for the audience. They will also have to answer a randomly selected question as their drag personality.

Muxfeldt said doing these activities for the competition will open some eyes among Simpson students.

“We need to gain support and awareness for different issues regarding LGBTQA students,” Muxfeldt said. “The more people the audience sees on stage, the more they will realize that there are a lot of people who care.”

Soppe recognizes this is a positive aspect of participating in the show.

“I think it is important for us to realize that people who do dress in drag on a regular basis have very tough lives that they are struggling to understand,” Soppe said. “The show is for a good laugh, but for people that drag, it is a reality and we have to accept them for who they are.”