Annual Raspberry Swirl Blurs Barriers at Salem State for Ninth Year

For the ninth year in a row, Salem State's Alliance hosted its famous – and perhaps infamous – Raspberry Swirl on Thursday, April 15. The theme this year was "The Drag Bowl – Binders vs Brassiers." The theme of the Drag Bowl continued onto the crowd, who wore referee shirts, and to the fact that there were pom-poms hanging up, and that Veterans Hall was marked off like a football field, which would aid later on in the games played that night.

 Raspberry Swirl's proceeds went to two different beneficiaries: the Waltham House in Boston, the only GLBT shelter in Boston, and to Haiti relief.

I managed to grab one of the stage managers and worm my way backstage, to get some information from some of the drag artists, to get a feel for what the emotions are backstage and how they will transfer onto the stage. I first grabbed MystïC Javon, a Swirl veteran, and ask him a few questions. We discuss how while this is his third Raspberry Swirl, this is his fourth year doing drag in general. His first drag experience, as in dressing in women's clothing, started in kindergarten, wearing his mother's dresses. I asked him what one of his most memorable performances was, to which he replies something about performing "Rumors" by Lindsey Lohan wearing a jean jumpsuit around two or three years ago. I ask what we have in store for tonight. He explains that he's excited, and that he is going to be singing live, something not usually seen in Drag shows nowadays. He plans on evoking the speakeasy feel to Drag, where it got its start during Prohibition. We then get a picture of MystïC with another drag queen, both dressed up as Lady Gaga. This surprises me in the very least.

I next find Lady Blaze, a first- time performer in Drag. I welcomed him to the drag scene, and we gossiped for a minute or so about first drag experiences, and I share an amusing story about my freshman year, working Raspberry Swirl when Dani Campbell hosted, and needed duct tape, an Ace bandage, and paper clips and binder clips in order to keep my boobs flat, leaving me with the appearance of rather buff pecs. After breaking the nervous bubble around him, I ask him how he feels so far about the GLBT community here on campus, and the drag scene around here. He answers that, as a freshman in the Theatre department, he loves to perform, but that the drag show is a lot larger than he expected. However, he praises Salem State's GLBT community, saying that it's much better than his home.

Finally, after scurrying through the backstage shenanigans, I find HER. THE Lady Drag Mother of Raspberry Swirl – Miss Honey B Fly. I had heard rumblings around campus earlier this year that since the money wasn't going to NAGLY this year, that Honey B wouldn't perform, and I was so disappointed. I asked Honey B about her experiences here at Salem State, as she is an alumni. She discusses about how her senior year she was president of the Alliance, and makes the ever present joke about Salem State being called "Seldom Straight" for a reason. She even discusses how when she was president of Alliance, Alliance worked with Residence Life in order to establish gender-neutral housing, one of the options available for the transgender community here on campus. I'm utterly starstruck, and if I were a drag queen, I would want Honey B as MY drag mother, that's for sure.

The show starts, and Ian Harvie, the host for the night, comes out. He is a comedian, who has opened up for Margaret Cho, and while he currently lives in Los Angeles, he's originally... from Maine. He proceeds to joke about Maine allowing and then banning marriage, leaving with the obvious joke of "shoot a moose and marry a bear at the same time." Of course, the LGBT community is nothing new to Ian. He's "Queer," but not the Queer that you would expect (he even says he "looks like the lost fucking member of Wham!") – Ian Harvie is transgendered, and was born a girl. He explains his emotions about the transgendered community, and the process of transitioning, and then says that since it's mainly just being unhappy with your body and working on it to bring it to where you feel comfortable, thus "everybody is a little trans" to him.

The monologue is over and it's time for performances. Up first is "MystïC Javon and the Other Jack E. Oh!", performing the speakeasy-burlesque version of Lady Gaga's "Speechless."  It's an interesting duet, and the fact that the first performance of the night is live shows where Drag Bowl is going – to the end zone in regards to creativity.  More wonderful performances from Miss Honey B Fly, Shane McMurphy, and Smoking Aces, and then it's time for the second Gaga, one of my personal highlights from the night. Going simply by Lady Gaga, and performing "Bad Romance," I feel we have a new drag celebrity on our hands, as the choreography from the music video was done down to the t, including even the facial expressions.

A few more performances of Georgie Boy, Lycophytes, Lady Blaze & B-Boy Flame – doing Captain Jack from Dance Dance Revolution, including breakdancing – and another performance from MystïC, and we've finally hit it. THE game, the one game that will embarrass the hell out of anyone who attends, or even worse, who gets roped into playing…The Orgasm Game. I'll leave that one to your imagination, and that might just be for the best, considering all sorts of unexpected moments occurred, culminating in our host Ian participating in the game, and feeling rather embarrassed after.

The final two performances are ensembles: SNL Boyz, doing "I'm On A Boat" with a very convincing T-Pain, if I do say so myself; and Rat Pack, doing "Swagger Like Us," including a convincing T.I, a wonderful Lil Wayne, and even a pregnant M.I.A. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, Rat Pack's set got cut short, but the final game, the Touchdown Dance game, another game with which Ian participated, leads to interesting touchdown dances, including two different "worm" dances, and even dancing in heels…after jumping onto the stage. Ian ended up with his shirt off, and if you were there the entire time, you wouldn't have been surprised to see clothes off by the end of the night.

All in all, it was another successful year for the Alliance, and knowing that the money is helping out not only our peers in Boston, but also our peers in Haiti, is a wonderful thing to behold.