Drag is under attack. Drag University is going to help lift up young artists.

Drag is under attack. And given the increasing queerphobia following last month’s disastrous election, it can be a scary time.

But the Normal Anomaly Initiative is fighting back with Drag University, a Houston-based program that will teach students not just the nuts and bolts of drag, but how to be an effective voice on behalf of the queer community.

Drag University is open to anyone who wants to learn drag, be they straight or gay; queen or king; cis, trans, or nonbinary. There are eight sessions every other week, along with a project meant to empower the community, and of course, students will strut their stuff and show off everything they’ve learned in an on-stage finale.

“At its core, Drag University is more than a program; it is a movement,” Joelle Bayaa-Uzuri Espeut, Advocacy Director of The Normal Anomaly Initiative told LGBTQ Nation. “We are bringing together art, education, creativity, activism, and healthcare to nurture a new generation of drag performers in the South.”

Drag University isn’t a brand-new idea. Espeut said that the program is based on a 2011 program by MSociety. However, the Normal Anomaly Initiative is expanding on what MSociety started, not just teaching drag, but how to become important figures in their local community. HIV education is also a key element of the program.

“The previous iteration of Drag University centered mostly on the drag entertainment component, where participants participated in a pageant. The Normal Anomaly’s upcoming Drag University cohort will combine the drag component with an added advocacy and leadership development component,” Espeut said.

“Aside from learning skills to enhance themselves as drag entertainers/performers (i.e. hair, make-up application, performance, and sustainability), cohort participants will also learn about advocacy and outreach, and how to advocate using their drag,” she added.

Drag University is funded by Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer of the PrEP regimen drug Truvada, though the Normal Anomaly Initiative is clear that aside from providing a grant, the company has no input on the content of the program. Another partner of the program is Montrose Grace Place, a local nonprofit providing food, care, and community for unhoused youth between the ages of 13 and 24.

In addition to learning great skills that are useful in and out of drag, participants who graduate from the program will receive $250. Not just that, but one winner will get a grand prize package worth up to $5,000, and two runners-up will get $1,000 prize packages.

Drag University comes at a time when Republicans are ramping up their attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. Two states – Montana and Tennessee – have laws explicitly restricting drag performances. Four more states – Texas, Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota – have language in laws regarding “adult” performances that could be used to block drag acts, according to the LGBT Movement Advancement Project.

In Texas alone, gender-affirming care for trans youth—including completely safe puberty blockers—has been outlawed, and trans kids can’t join sports teams based on their gender. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) says he’s working to ban “woke agendas” in schools, according to the Texas Tribune.

After this year’s elections, the Texas legislature has shifted even further right. This year, the Texas GOP focused its advertising on anti-LGBTQ+ measures. And even Democrats have signaled that they’re willing to abandon the queer community both in Texas and nationally.

Earlier this month, 81 Democrats in the House joined Republicans in voting to ban children of military service members from receiving transgender healthcare. Quisling Democrats who voted in favor of the bill included House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and four of Texas’ 13 Democratic representatives: Colin Allred from Dallas, Henry Cuellar from Laredo, Veronica Escobar from El Paso and Vicente Gonzalez from McAllen.

Drag in particular has been targeted in Texas. The state even briefly banned drag shows with children present, though that law was struck down last year by a federal judge. Undeterred, Texas Republicans vowed to try again and threatened to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Setbacks like this make programs like Drag University all the more essential to the LGBTQ+ community.

“Drag University is the manifestation of liberation, which is especially important in the time and place this program is set,” Ian L. Haddock, founder of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, said. “As drag and gender expression become more and more politicized, we are here to protect this historic art form and uplift drag for what it is: a powerful platform to celebrate individuality and break boundaries. At the same time, this program offers an opportunity to build a career and a strong network of support.”

Those interested in signing up can fill out the application before January 5. Participants must be in Houston, Texas and be able to attend in-person to all the sessions at the Normal Anomaly Initiative’s drop-in center in the Third Ward neighborhood.

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