Gay Straight Alliance at VSU Hosts Drag Delight Nov. 20

VALDOSTA —The Gay Straight Alliance at Valdosta State University will host the 10th annual Drag Delight fundraiser from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, in Student Union Ballrooms A, B, and C. All VSU students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to attend. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Before 1 p.m. the day of the event, general admission tickets are $5 per person or $4 for groups of five or more people. After 1 p.m. the day of the event, tickets must be purchased at the door, and rates will increase to $10 per individual ticket and $7 per group ticket. Admission includes light refreshments during intermission.

VIP tickets are available and include reserved seating, priority access to refreshments, a poster signed by the performers, and two free raffle tickets for a chance to win one of two grand prize packages. The cost is $10 before 1 p.m. the day of the event and $20 at the door.

Contact Megan Pugh, president of the Gay Straight Alliance at VSU at vsugaystraightalliance@gmail.com to purchase general admission and VIP tickets.

Raffle tickets for individual prizes can be purchased for $1 at the event.

All proceeds will benefit the Ryan White Consortium, officially known as the South Health District 8-1 Consortium for HIV Positive Persons. The South Health District’s HIV Clinic treats any HIV positive client over age 12, including those who have a Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-defined AIDS diagnosis. Supportive services for clients, such as hospice care, emergency financial assistance, food and food vouchers, housing assistance, support groups, etc., are available by referral with various community providers/partners.

Pugh said, “Drag Delight began 10 years ago to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and to raise funds on behalf of different organizations that are dedicated to spreading truth about the diseases through research, prevention efforts, and advocacy for those infected and affected by these diseases. We have raised over $10,000 since Drag Delight began, and we have donated to various organizations in the state of Georgia, as well as some national organizations.

“We in the Gay Straight Alliance feel it is extremely critical to provide financial resources and visibility to the Ryan White Consortium because there is such a high rate of HIV infection in the rural south, including Valdosta. Without the resources and exposure to organizations and clinics like the Ryan White Consortium, many people will go on uneducated and untreated for HIV. It is imperative to us that as many people as possible are informed about HIV/AIDS. We hope that the fear and stigma around being tested for HIV will be demolished from this community and our society at large.”

The mission of the Gay Straight Alliance is to foster an active and diverse culture at Valdosta State University and the surrounding community. It provides opportunities for students to build friendships, find a safe place to discuss issues, and foster communication through an assortment of activities while encouraging open-mindedness and diversity with an emphasis on educating and informing students, faculty, staff, and community members about the diversity among gender and sexuality issues.

Contact Megan Pugh at vsugaystraightalliance@gmail.com for more information.

On the Web:

http://southhealthdistrict.com/programs-services/hivaids-services/

https://valdosta.collegiatelink.net/organization/gay-straight-alliance