Drag performers and community members came together over the weekend for a glamorous show that was both religious and uproarious.
Amid the sounds of cheers, spinning noise makers and lots of laughs, Elech, Cincinnati’s queer "Jew-ish" community organization, held their second-annual Purim drag showcase “Glitter, Graggers and Glam” at Urban Artifact’s Radio Artifact soundstage on March 16.
The show was put on in partnership between Elech and ish, an organization centered around Jewish arts and cultural traditions. Elliot Draznin, co-founder of Elech, told CityBeat that Purim is the perfect Jewish holiday to bring to the drag stage.
“Purim is the holiday that celebrates the book of Esther. It’s basically a retelling of the whole story of Esther, the queen of Persia, and to celebrate it, the Jewish people retell the story on stage,” Elliot said. “In my mind I hear that and think, well that would make a great drag show!”
But drag on some level has always been a part of the Purim tradition, according to Elech co-founder Zak Draznin.
Keep scrolling to see CityBeat's photos from “Glitter, Graggers and Glam.”
Photos by Aidan Mahoney
“Jewish tradition teaches, even in fundamentalist communities, that Purim is a time to cross dress and gender-bend,” he said. “We see an opportunity to say, hey, this is actually a religious tradition which is frankly also under fire right now.”
Zak is referring to Ohio House Bill 245, which would ban “adult cabaret performance in a location other than an adult cabaret.” The bill, which was sent to the House Criminal Justice Committee in November, expands the definition of adult cabaret performances to include “performers or entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer’s or entertainer’s gender assigned at birth.”
One of the night’s drag performers, Phaedra, was quick to point out how much drag and religion already have in common.
“If you think of any organized religion, they’re all built around a great deal of pageantry, a great deal of flash, of pomp and circumstance, and that’s all drag is,” she said.
Under HB 245’s text, a showcase like “Glitter, Graggers and Glam” would violate the law and could result in criminal charges against organizers, but Zak said Elech is standing firm in their right to publicly celebrate Purim, gender-bending and all.
“Drag’s in the Jewish practice, so we’re also here celebrating our religious freedom to celebrate our Jewish holidays as queer people,” Zak said.
Cincinnati Rabbi Ari Jun, who was dressed as a lobster in the show’s audience, emphasized how vital it is to show up for LGBTQ+ Jews.
“We have good reason to presume there are some thousands of members of our Jewish community in Cincinnati who identify as being LGBTQ+. We have a major constituency that deserves to have their needs understood to be supported,” Jun said.
Identifying and protecting those at the intersection of the Jewish and queer community is critical to Zak, who pointed out rising cases of antisemitism across the country and here at home.
“It’s important that we have this space. We have rising antisemitism and rising LGBTQ hate in this country. It’s important we have this space for us,” he said. “Just today there was a horribly antisemitic sign that was posted at the St. Patrick's Day parade that said, “Save Ireland from the Jews." On a day like that, to have us here outwardly celebrating our Jewishness in public, in addition to showing off an amazing queer art form, is very powerful.”
Keep scrolling to see CityBeat's photos from “Glitter, Graggers and Glam.”
Photos by Aidan Mahoney
