On Friday, Sept. 13, NYU’s LGBTQ Student Center hosted a drag race competition NY(Drag)U at the Kimmel Center for University Life. This year’s competition was marked by the return of previous host BeBe Zahara Benet, the first-season winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and mistress of ceremonies.

The LGBTQ Center’s director, Celiany Rivera-Velázquez, said the annual event has been going on for three years.

“The program is basically an opportunity for NYU students to experiment with gender and how it’s performed on stage,” Rivera-Velázquez said. “[The Center] is trying to address both drag queen and drag king culture.”

The drag show featured students in their homemade costumes, including one contestant who went for a futuristic theme, complete with neon pink hair and a painted blue face.

Social and cultural analysis professor María Josefina Saldaña-Portillo said that having a universitywide drag competition open to all undergraduate and graduate students helps create a welcoming environment for students.

“Having these kinds of events brings visibility to LGBTQ students, demonstrating the more fluid aspects of gender performance,” Saldaña-Portillo said.

Rivera-Velázquez agreed that NYU’s sponsorship of the program shows the university’s commitment to fostering a positive environment for students.

“[The competition] is an opportunity for students who are interested in experimenting with gender performance to have a platform to do so, in a way that feels affirming here at NYU,” Rivera-Velázquez said.

Typically, there are 10 to 12 submissions, which are then narrowed down to six contestants. A video application and a playlist for the performance must be submitted with each application. Ultimately, the application process gauges the preparedness of the applicants and allows the center to support applicants in facilitating the process in any way possible, if needed.

The show was open to the public, and the 100 seats in Kimmel 802 were not enough to accommodate all of the guests who showed up. Spectators were treated to a walk-off competition, in which the drag kings and queens danced and lip-synced their routines, which were then judged by a panel.

Axel Keating, a Steinhardt sophomore, was the drag king finalist. Keating said he was surprised by his showing in the final and that he enjoyed participating in the event.

“Gender can be a really fluid thing, and it’s fun to mess with,” Keating said.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Sept. 16 print edition. Stephan Drabeck is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].