By Hilde van den Berg
By now, the Gender in the Blender party is known to most students as a yearly occurrence. In the past couple of years, however, there had never been a workshop related to this event. Students were always left to search the web for tips and tricks, unless they had friends who knew their way around the subculture. Therefore, two societies got together and made plans. SoQueer and ArtCo set up the Drag Make-Up Workshop. It was hosted in the hours right before the Gender in the Blender, so that participants would have to chance to keep their outfit and make-up on for the party.
The event was designed to let students experience drag in a different way than they usually would. Fellow students who knew their way around make-up were present to help those who had no idea what to do, as well as people who had knowledge about drag but not make-up. If anyone had a specific wish, it could be arranged. Some ended up with fabulous fake eye-lashes, someone else went for the classic half-half look. At one point, someone was even working on straightening up a wig. Although the event was hosted in one of Elliott’s hard-to-find meeting rooms, there seemed to be a very comfortable atmosphere. Music was taken care of, drinks were close by. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Some moments were quieter than others, but there was always something to keep everyone busy—be it a make-up discussion or talk about something unrelated.
Then came the party. PartyCo and SoQueer had discussed decorations beforehand, something that also had not been done before. This year, there was also a competition. Between 23:00 and 23:30, the best Drag King or Queen would be chosen. This was definitely a good way to lure people to the party earlier, as people started to file in just after 23.00. Even those who had not attended the workshop showed up in amazing outfits. The party would not be the success that it always is without the amount of effort that people put into it. However, there could only be one winner. Was it a coincidence that the person in question had attended the workshop? That is, of course, difficult to say. Regardless, this party once again allowed for a surge of creative freedom and freedom of expression, without fear of being ridiculed. I think that is part of its success: (invisible) social norms do not count, just for one night. The Gender in the Blender is one of those traditions that I hope will be there for many years to come.
Hilde van den Berg, Class of 2016, is a Psychology and Law major from Doetinchem, the Netherlands.
Source photo: https://latimesphoto.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/75161463-hm-1007-hm-jackie-beat-03-rrd.jpg
