Princess Panocha performs at SF State’s QTRC spring prom in Jack Adams Hall on Thursday. This is the first time Drag Queen Princess Panocha performed at a University drag event. (Rashik Adhikari / Golden Gate Xpress) (Rashik Adhikari)
Princess Panocha performs at SF State’s QTRC spring prom in Jack Adams Hall on Thursday. This is the first time Drag Queen Princess Panocha performed at a University drag event. (Rashik Adhikari / Golden Gate Xpress)

Rashik Adhikari

SF State’s Queer & Trans Resource Center hosts spring prom

Over 100 people attended Thursday’s event for a night of music, dance and drag

May 3, 2022

SF State’s Queer & Trans Resource Center hosted a “Carrie” themed spring prom on Thursday. The spring prom was held on campus at Jack Adams Hall and was a follow-up event to December’s winter ball called “Winter is a drag.”

The theme of Thursday’s spring prom was “Carrie,” after the 1976 supernatural horror film starring Sissy Spacek. The movie follows the story of the titular character Carrie White, a shy high school student often the victim of bullying, who later finds out she has telekinetic abilities. 

According to Assistant Director of the Queer & Trans Resource Center Lux Montes, Carrie was chosen as the theme because the movie illustrates how ostracizing it feels to be on the outskirts of a normalized society. 

“I feel like a lot of us here at SF State can relate to that experience,” Montes said. “What I love about Carrie is that one beautiful crystalline moment when she gets elected to be prom queen and feels accepted. And there’s tears in her eyes, and that’s the moment I really want to bring, that moment of acceptance, that celebration of inclusivity. This one’s for the freaks.”

Over 105 people RSVP’d for Thursday’s event which had refreshments, a photo booth run by local artist Lil Croissant, a raffle, music by DJ Fiera Ferari, anda live drag performance by local drag performers Mala and Poison Oakland of the Bimbos, as well as Princess Panocha. 

Spring prom was the second event in the 2021-22 school year to have drag performance as the focal point of the event. According to  Queer & Trans Resource Center Director Chloe Simson, drag performance is a fun way to introduce people to the queer community. 

“We really wanted to showcase queer and trans talent,” Simson said. “And pride performers are also just incredible at bringing people together, and a lot of people on campus have not experienced drag performance before.”

Attendees were incredibly receptive to Thursday’s drag performance as the drag queens performed to hits such as Britney Spears’ “Lucky.” Princess Panocha, a drag performer at SF State’s spring prom event said this was their first drag performance at a college or university. 

“I wasn’t really sure what it was going to be like going into it,” Princess Panocha said. “I wasn’t sure if drag was going to be viewed as too lowbrow in the university setting, but everyone really seemed to like it.” 

Poison Oakland closed the prom with a performance to Selena’s “Dreaming of You,”which received a standing ovation. Princess Panocha and Mala joined her on stage for a final bow.

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Sarah Bruno, Copy Editor
Sarah Bruno (she/her) is the copy editor at Golden Gate Xpress. She is a senior at SF State and will be graduating in Spring 2023. She is a Print and Online Journalism major with a Literature in English minor. Sarah lives in San Francisco but is originally from the East Bay. In her free time, she loves to travel, try out new restaurants, hit up a museum or art exhibit, and drink a glass of wine while binging the latest tv show with her cat, Buffy.
Photo of Paris Galarza
Paris Galarza
Paris Galarza is a photojournalism major and a senior at SF State. He is from South San Francisco and likes to photograph, but is always willing to work out of his comfort zone. Outside of school, Galarza likes to travel, bake.  
Photo of Rashik Adhikari
Rashik Adhikari
Rashik Adhikari is a student at San Francisco State University majoring in photojournalism and minoring in Critical Social thought. Rashik is originally from Nepal and currently lives in Richmond, Eastbay. Rashik is graduating in the fall of this year and will pursue a career in documentary and filmmaking.

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