A Catholic chaplaincy in the Diocese of St. Gallen is organising a drag show this week, in a performance which combines drag with “social, spiritual, and cultural issues”.
On Friday, September 18 two drag artists will take to the stage in St. Gallen’s Grabenhalle concert venue, known for its hosting of “alternative” events and performances. The two male drag performers go by their stage names of Lupa Nova and Amelie Putain and are based in St. Gallen, with details of the event celebrating the local ‘talent’.
Both drag performers are collaborating with the Swiss city's Catholic Pastoral Ministry to organise the evening. Promotional details are found publicly on the city ministry’s website and social media platforms.
The drag show is described as “Deep drag” with Lupa Nova attesting that the evening will leave the audience “inspired” and with a recognition of drag “as a serious art form”. Both the men’s performances involve cross-dressing, suggestive dancing and revealing outfits.
According to the Catholic pastoral ministry’s own details, the evening “combines the art form of drag with social, spiritual, and cultural issues.” It provides “an open space for performance, conversation and shared reflection on what motivates people regardless of age, origin or lifestyle,” wrote the Catholic office.
The event falls under the purview of the office of “Culture and Education” within the pastoral ministry team.
Built around the theme of “memory and hope” the evening’s performance will combine a drag show with questions and answers, as the audience have the chance to interact with the performers. A staff member from the diocese of St. Gallen with conduct an interview with the two men, before posing questions to them which members of the audience will have submitted beforehand.
Both men have spoken about their aim for drag shows to impact and change the perspective of their audiences in favour of LGBT ideology.
Entrance is free, but donations are being collected during the evening for an organisation called “HAVEN99” which supports and promotes transgender lifestyles for young adults by offering accommodation in “a supportive queer shared apartment” if they “feel uncomfortable or unsafe in their private lives”.
Visitors to the Catholic ministry’s website are prompted to donate to HAVEN99 and the promotion flyer provides a QR code to facilitate such donations.
The pastoral ministry of the city of St. Gallen operates under the Diocese of St. Gallen and seeks to take religion to the streets as part of its mobile ministry plan. No secret is made regarding the drag show by the city’s pastoral ministry with advertising being very public, although it is not found on the diocesan website or social media accounts.
The Catholic Herald contacted both the diocese and the city ministry asking if the performance had received permission from Bishop Beat Grögli and whether it would be a recurring event. The Herald also asked what the diocesan or city ministry’s intended aim was regarding the show, but neither office had replied by the time of publication.
Drag shows have begun to proliferate in recent years, most notably with the blasphemous performances staged by the American group “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” which have garnered many headlines in recent summers.
Closer to the Church such events have also been given notable prominence. During the inaugural World Children’s Day held in May 2024 and organised by the Vatican, a male drag artist performed for children present at the event. Carmine De Rosa stated he was officially invited by organisers to deliver a show at the event prior to Pope Francis’ arrival later in the day. Press inquiries sent by this correspondent to the organisers were left unanswered.
Michael Haynes is an English journalist in the Holy See Press Corps. He serves as Vatican Correspondent for the Catholic Herald, while readers can follow him at Per Mariam and on X @MLJHaynes.
