Faculty of Art
The University of British Columbia’s Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement (ACRE) is thrilled to invite you to Lessons in Drag, a special lecture-performance featuring Dr. LaWhore Vagistan on March 2, 2025!
Dr. Vagistan, your favorite South Asian drag auntie, brings the nightclub to the classroom (and vice versa) to explain how critical social theory matters in queer nightlife. Touching on themes that include globalization, feminist theory, and islamophobia, she stages the nightclub as a site of politics and pleasure. Part lecture, part lipsync, part audience participation, the show demonstrates how much drag teaches us, even requires us, to be in relation with the rest of the world.
Dr. Vagistan’s lecture-performance will be preceded by opening performances by fabulous local drag artists Bongganisa and Jolene Queen Sloan.
Lessons in Drag is a feature event of “Browning Asian Canada”, a public research and engagement series convened by Dr. JP Catungal, Co-Director of UBC ACRE. This feature event is co-organized by UBC ACRE and Chris Chong Chan Fui (Assistant Professor, Film, SFU School for the Contemporary Arts) and is made possible with the generous support from UBC Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice; Public Humanities Hub; Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies; Theatre and Film; Faculty of Education
This event is free and open to all. Space is limited so make sure to register to reserve a seat!
Photo taken by Mettie Ostrowski at La Mama Theatre
LaWhore Vagistan is everyone’s favorite overdressed, overeducated, oversaturated South Asian drag aunty. Her music videos have screened at the Mississauga South Asian Film Festival, Austin OUTsider multi-arts festival, Hyderabad Queer Film Festival, and San Francisco 3rd i film festival. She has performed at the Wilbur Theatre and La Mama with Sasha Velour, as well as at the Austin International Drag Festival, Asia Society, AS220, Queens Museum, Jack Theater,, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Not Festival, Links Hall, and A.R.T. Oberon. You can find her on YouTube delivering a TEDx Talk titled “How to be an Aunty” and on Instagram at @lawhorevagistan.
Sorry the RSVP is full for this event.
