As the opening beats of 鈥淗ow Deep is Your Love鈥� by Calvin Harris and Disciples filled the room, a deafening cheer erupted from the crowd inside Texas A&M University鈥檚 Rudder Theatre Thursday night. Underneath the shimmering stage lights, host Melaka Mystika stepped forward in towering aqua-blue heels.
Mystika strutted across the stage with each pounding beat of the music. The audience morphed into a shimmering ocean of sequins and glitter. Minutes later, Mystika walked toward the front of the stage, microphone in hand.
鈥淲elcome to the show that almost didn鈥檛 happen,鈥� Mystika said. 鈥淏ut guess what? It did!鈥�
The crowd exploded. Draggieland 2025 had officially begun.
The student-run pageant, where drag performers compete to be crowned winner, has been an on-campus tradition since 2020. But just days before contestants took the stage, the annual event had been in jeopardy.
Texas A&M University System officials in February, calling the performances 鈥渋nconsistent with the system鈥檚 mission and core values.鈥� That decision led to the filing of a federal lawsuit against A&M on behalf of the Queer Empowerment Council, a coalition of LGBTQ+ student groups who argued the ban was unconstitutional censorship.
On Monday, a federal judge agreed with the students and temporarily blocked the policy, allowing Draggieland 2025 to proceed.
About an hour before Thursday night鈥檚 performance, showrunner Kelly Risch sat at a booth during an LGBTQ+-vendor event just outside the auditorium. Partner organizations sold shirts, pride flags, rainbow-colored stickers that read 鈥渘o homophobia鈥� and 鈥渃ome together鈥� and other merchandise. Risch said she and her peers spent a year organizing the show and that it鈥檚 been 鈥渉orrible鈥� not knowing whether the event would even happen.
鈥淭o have a group of strangers tell us that we can鈥檛 do the show, that鈥檚 so hurtful and it goes against what Draggieland is about,鈥� Risch said. 鈥淒raggieland is a symbol of queer resilience. We鈥檙e queer, we鈥檙e here. We鈥檒l always be here, and you can try to get rid of us but we鈥檙e not going anywhere.鈥�
Despite the legal back and forth, about 700 people packed the theater. The crowd was a melting pot of students, Aggie alumni and other community members. Some university faculty were there too, like Nathanael Rosenheim, a professor in A&M鈥檚 Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. This was Rosenheim's first time attending Draggieland. He told The Texas Newsroom that he and his husband, James, felt compelled to support the show after school officials attempted to stop the performance.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing this because it鈥檚 celebratory, it鈥檚 exciting,鈥� Rosenheim said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something we wanna showcase and bring our community together, the queer community, and it鈥檚 just really hard to stop that.鈥�
The energy in the room was electric. One by one, six drag queens and one drag king took to the stage in the hopes that they鈥檇 win this year鈥檚 pageant. With each lip-sync performance, the audience hooped and hollered in support as stage lights beamed across the auditorium.
Each performer brought their own flair to this year鈥檚 theme, 鈥淪laying the Seven Seas.鈥� Venus Evangeline wore a giant shell on their back while launching into a high-energy performance. Sir Loin Long, a self-described 鈥淧eter Griffin in a shiny disco ball dress,鈥� proudly swaggered onstage. Long wore a seemingly DIY boat costume atop a blue-sequined top and lip synced to The Lonely Island鈥檚 song 鈥淚'm on a Boat.鈥�
For many, the evening wasn鈥檛 just about entertainment 鈥� it was about making a statement. Throughout the night, co-hosts Petty Brooks and Melaka Mystika threw jabs at A&M officials and Texas lawmakers for attempting to put an end to events like Draggieland. Notably, the school鈥檚 Board of Regents claimed that these events could create an 鈥渉ostile鈥� environment that 鈥渄emeans women鈥� 鈥� an argument that was repeatedly denounced by many who took the stage throughout the night.
鈥淪ome of the rights that we have now, none of them were won by being nice. They were won by a little scuffle, a little battle,鈥� Mystika said. 鈥淚鈥檓 always gonna be loud for the people who can鈥檛 be loud.鈥�
Lawmakers have intensified their focus on drag under President Donald Trump. Immediately after his inauguration in January, Trump signed recognizing only two sexes. Through this order, the president also threatened to withhold federal funding for state institutions that promote 鈥済ender ideology.鈥� Nearly two weeks ago, officials with the University of Texas System moved from sponsoring or hosting drag shows. As of now, UT鈥檚 ban is still in place.
After the A&M system鈥檚 ban was blocked on Monday, a university spokesperson said the system was 鈥渆valuating next steps.鈥� The Texas Attorney General鈥檚 Office, which is representing A&M in the lawsuit against its students, did not respond when The Texas Newsroom asked if the office planned to appeal the ruling.
Before Thursday鈥檚 show, about four dozen students knelt in prayer outside the theater, reciting a rosary "for the souls" of those at Draggieland, according to .
By the end of the three-hour show, two performers were left standing: Natasha Nova and Maria Maria. Thus began an impassioned lip-sync battle between the two drag queens to Rachel Platten鈥檚 鈥淔ight Song,鈥� the crowd鈥檚 cheers a persistent backdrop against the music. After giving their all, Nova and Maria walked toward the front of the stage, hand in hand, waiting for the final results.
The suspense was finally lifted with the opening of an envelope.
Maria Maria was crowned the winner of Draggieland 2025.
鈥淭his was gonna be stripped away from us, but luckily, we fought the good fight. We spoke our word like we needed to,鈥� Maria said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 our unalienable right.鈥�
However, after recounting the scores given by the Draggieland鈥檚 four judges, event organizers on Monday announced that 鈥淣atasha Nova should have been awarded the title that night鈥� after leading ahead of Maria by 41 points. On Instagram, Maria said it was an honor to participate and praised Nova as the 鈥渢rue queen鈥� of Draggieland.
"It's essential that we continue hosting such events to foster acceptance and unity," Nova said. "Now, more than ever, we must raise our voices and stand together."
This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. on Monday after event organizers announced the true winner of Draggieland 2025.
