The tension was rising in the Ferman Presentation room as the Lotería cards were being called out one by one, “La dama! El Mundo! Las Escaleras!” Hoping to get four in a row to win a prize, Drag Queen Lotería was enjoyed by many as a way to celebrate Hispanic month.
On Sept. 26, the University Library hosted a Drag Queen Lotería night with legendary drag queen, Barbra Wyre, to celebrate Raza Heritage Month: Celebrating Nuestra Gente y Comunidad (Our People and Our Community).
Lotería is a game of chance, similar to bingo. Players use chips to mark images on their cards as the dealer calls out cards from the deck. If a player matches four images in a row, they win the round after which a new game with different rules begins.
Five games of Lotería were played, with prizes such as eyeshadow palettes from Ulta, water tumblers, and library swag bags awarded to winners.
Wyre was born and raised in East LA and has been performing in drag for five years, “When I first turned 21, I stumbled upon a drag show downtown, and that was the night that my life changed pretty much,” said Wyre.
“I really like drag, I love how it allows me to express a certain part of myself that was kind of repressed growing up in a very machismo culture,” Wyre added.
Machismo is a term in Hispanic culture that refers to a traditional gender role that emphasizes on male strength, power and dominance. Often reinforcing the exception that men should be assertive and are superior to women which is widely viewed as a form of sexism.
“It’s really awesome I get to be Barbra now as an adult,” Wyre said.
The event was organized by Brianna Limas, the outreach librarian and Mary Alcivar-Estrella, the ethnic studies librarian with sponsorship from CSUN Act now and the Pride Center.
“We wanted to celebrate our heritage and people from Mexico and Latin America, so we played Lotería and we wanted to invite Barbra because she’s an amazing drag queen and what’s more fun than drag queen Lotería?” said Limas.
Students enjoyed free snacks, including chips, salsa and guacamole and Mexican candies like Paletones (a marshmallow covered in chocolate on a stick) and Pelon Pelo Ricos (a tamarind candy). Complimentary drinks were provided, including sparkling water.
After the five games were played, Wyre gave an unforgettable performance of “Baila Esta Cumbia” by Selena and threw tacos wrapped in foil to the audience, imitating a T-shirt being thrown at sporting events.
For many attendees, this was their first drag show and their first time playing drag Lotería.
“I liked the atmosphere of it all. It was really fun,” said Leslie Gonzalez. “I didn’t go to any events my first year, so I decided to go to more this year.”
Drag Queen Lotería host Barbara Wyre can be found on instagram and for students interested in attending future events, keep up to date with the University Library on instagram as well.
