SOLANA BEACH — Eight drag queens put their best high-heeled foot forward as various Disney characters on Tuesday night during a fundraiser event at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.
The 4th annual Disney Drag Takeover Benefit Show, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Oceanside Pride by the Beach event in June, signified a night of resiliency for organizers and the community after an online threat of violence led to the cancelation of the originally-scheduled show in late March.
The threat is now being investigated by the FBI, and leaders with North County LGBTQ Resource Center, which organizes Pride by the Beach, put their focus on healing and moving forward.
“Tonight, we make history here on the Belly Up Tavern stage again after four years and coming back from a threat,” said Lisa Nava, operations director at North County LGBTQ Resource Center. “Know that these queens risk their lives every day, literally. I hope we can show them all of the love because they are sharing their art for free.”
Over 400 people attended the night of dance, impressive costumes and raunchy humor hosted by San Diego drag performer Mariam T and featuring performances by Naomi Daniels, Dolly Levi, Penny Dreadfuls, Kicxy Vixen, Big Dee, Paris Sukomi Max and Chad Michaels, the winner of season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
Roaring cheers only grew louder throughout the evening, starting with Paris Sukomi Max’s triple-costume change on stage and continuing with Naomi Daniels’s performance as Tiana and Penny Dreadfuls’s unexpected transformation into a magic carpet.
The approximately $10,000 in proceeds from the event go toward Pride at the Beach. The free event takes place June 3 from noon to 6 p.m. at 330 N Coast Highway in Oceanside.
