Pride At Pace hosted the annual Fabulosity show to bring awareness about the transgender community through a competition of drag queen performances on Nov. 2 in Willcox’s Multipurpose Room.

Pride at Pace supports and raises awareness of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Asexual (LGBTQQA) community.

The students who participated in the event dressed as drag queens and danced to songs of their choice.

“Fabulosity has changed so much over the years; before I was even a student [at Pace] it was really celebrated because no one had seen drag culture before,” Pride at Pace Vice President Mercedes Major said. “This year, we raised money for charity which is something we’ve never done before. We’ve had so many students perform over the years, sometimes Pace at Pride members, sometimes Greeks, athletes, and a lot of times just everyday students to bring people together.”

Though the entertainment factor brought many to the audience, the event served to inform students about the facts about the transgender community.

The hostess, by the stage name of Dotty, was a professional drag queen performer. She performed twice, introduced all of the acts, judges, and delivered information about the transgender community.

“In terms of income, transgender people are four times more likely to have a household income less than $10,000 a year compared to the general population,” Dotty said. “In terms of school, those who express a transgender identity while in the grades K-12 have recorded an alarming level of harassment, about 78 percent: physical assault 35 percent and sexual violence 12 percent. Harassment was so severe that it lead to almost one-sixth, that’s 15 percent, to leave school or college.”

Transgenders also suffer with employment. They have higher levels of unemployment and of those who are employed 90 percent reported in a survey that they receive harassment, mistreatment, or discrimination.

Twenty-six percent of those surveyed, reported losing a job due to being transgender and 16 percent of transgenders surveyed admitted to having to work in the underground economy. This mean working by selling drugs or sex.

However, 78 percent who transitioned genders between genders reported feeling more comfortable working.

Transgenders also have a higher rate of suicide. Forty-one percent of respondents have attempted suicide compared to the 1 percent of the general population, according to the survey.

“It is time for us to take a stand,” Dotty said. “It is time for us to start treating everyone with respect no matter what the gender identity no matter how they present themselves to the world. We need to make a safe space for everyone everywhere.”

Fabulosity was meant to tie together information attendees may not be aware of. It’s one of the few educational events that is highly attended at Pace, according to Major.

“What I really love about this event is that, oftentimes, students do not come to events that are educational,” Major said. “During Fabulosity, we have always been able to have fun and entertain people while also getting faculty and staff involved and educating people on transphobia and discrimination. With elections and so much going on, I really love that people leave Fabulosity a little bit more knowledgeable and they always come back next year.”

After all the students performed, the judges made a decision. First place was awarded to Ian Whitman, who danced to Beyonce’s “Flawless.”