Arts & Entertainment
Gay teen goes viral for performing death drop at graduation
The drag queen shocked the crowd with his surprise move
A gay teenager has gone viral for performing a death drop after accepting his diploma at graduation.
Brandon Austin, whose drag queen persona is Sophia Stardust, decided that he wanted to make a big impression during his commencement ceremony from West Kent College, near London, England.
“I just said to my friends, ‘how iconic would it be if I did a death drop?’ All my friends were into it. So when I got up there, and all friends were cheering, I just thought let’s do it. The crowd screamed and cheered. Everyone was also so shocked. It was amazing,” the 18-year-old told Gay Star News.
Austin’s death drop, which he says he practiced on his dad’s bed using YouTube videos, has been viewed more than three million times on Twitter. He told Gay Star News that attending college helped him to be more comfortable with his sexuality.
“I started to know about my sexuality about year 9 or 10. I never came out – I wasn’t badly bullied as such. People would tease, saying to me you’re gay and we know it. It can really destroy your confidence,” Austin says. “When I went to college and I saw openly gay people for the first time, I was overwhelmed.”
Austin hopes to one day become a full-time, professional queen.
How to graduate like a pro pic.twitter.com/fdPahK9Nrz
— Brandon Austin (Sophia Stardust) (@sophia_stardust) July 12, 2019
Celebrate the start of Pride month at the Queer Magic Dance Party at the Black Cat on Saturday, June 6. Doors open at 9 p.m.
There will be pole performances and demonstrations, a free photo booth with glitter bar, a queer vendor market, tarot readings by Skye Marinda Tarot, a drag performance by Sapphica, and dancing to a blend of smooth R&B, Afrobeats, hip-hop and pop by Slammer & Saba. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 (plus fees) in advance, purchased here.
Local queer journalists will celebrate Pride this weekend at the annual NLGJA-DC Pride Happy Hour event at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, June 6, 3-5 p.m. Admission is free.
Out & About
DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K set for Saturday
Annual event held at historic Congressional Cemetery
The 14th annual DC Front Runners’ Pride 5K run/walk is set for Saturday, June 6 at historic Congressional Cemetery. The race starts and ends at the cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.) and passes through scenic D.C., along the Anacostia River trail and the fields at RFK campus. Registration ends Friday at 11:59 p.m.
Runners can pick up their race packets on Saturday from 7-8:30 a.m. at Congressional Cemetery; the race begins at 9 a.m.
The fee to run the 5K in person is $65 ($35 for those under age 20). Proceeds benefit local LGBTQ nonprofits, including Thrive DC, Wanda Alston Foundation, Blade Foundation, Ainsley’s Angels, SMYAL, and Team DC. Visit DCFrontRunners.org for more information.
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Queer Magic dance party planned
NLGJA-DC Pride happy hour at Trade
DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K set for Saturday
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