Culture and Social Issues

Blue City Hosts World-Record Drag Show That Lasted 48 Straight Hours

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A drag show that started on Monday lasted for 48 hours straight in Portland, Oregon, ultimately breaking a Guinness World Record for longest drag show, according to KGW8.

The “Drag-a-thon” was held at a drag cabaret in Portland’s Chinatown and hosted 60 performers and 60 emcees, featuring 600 songs, KGW8 reported. The show began Monday afternoon and lasted until Wednesday morning for a grand total of 48 hours, 11 minutes and 30 seconds.

“I swear the only city that could have pulled this off is Portland. The only place that people are going to come out at 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. to watch a drag show is Portland,” Drag-a-Thon producer and Wildfang CEO Emma Mcilroy said, according to KGW8.

The previous record for longest drag show performance was 36 hours before being broken by the Portland event, according to KGW8.

Wildfang, a queer apparel company that planned the event in partnership with the venue Darcelle’s, raised $250,000 for the Trevor Project, with over 2,500 people in attendance, the Portland Mercury reported.

Many performers at the show spoke about the importance of hosting a drag show while many states have been passing and promoting laws against drag, KGW8 reported.

Legislation was introduced in early June prohibiting the Department of Defense from paying for, hosting or supporting adult cabaret performances. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill within the same month calling for the banof sexually oriented performances for minors within the state, and presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that punishes businesses if they allow children to attend drag shows.