As Draggieland opened its doors for its annual show, two groups of students demonstrated against it with prayer, song and banners.

Organized by biological and agricultural engineering junior John Leary and led by Jeremy Casal, a seminarian from the Austin area, and biological and agricultural junior Matthew Eberly, the demonstration lasted 45 minutes in pouring rain, starting around 7 p.m. outside Rudder Theatre, the same time Draggieland let students in.

The roughly 75 attendees knelt and prayed the rosary, a set of prayers and beads used by Catholics to meditate on the life of Christ. Following the 45 minutes of prayer, they sang Salve Regina, a Gregorian hymn.

Mechanical engineering senior Tyler Buchanan said he attended the demonstration to show support for his fellow students and Catholics.

“I think the reason people think Christians are very homophobic are because of evangelicals,” Buchanan said. “We’re not like that.”

Leary, who led the group in the prayer of the rosary, walked barefoot from St. Mary’s Catholic Center on Northgate to Rudder Plaza. Following Monday’s court order allowing Draggieland to proceed, Leary began organizing with other students. 

“We are here because we do not approve of what is going on,” Leary said. “Regardless of what court ruling, we are not in favor of Draggieland. However, we still love all those who are there. We will be praying for you, not attacking you.”

As Draggieland came to a close, a small group of students leaving shouted at the group and sang Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass,” a song heavily associated with the LGBTQ+ community. 

“Man, fuck that noise,” one student who refused to provide their name said. “Get a life and mind your business.”

A spokesperson from St. Mary’s, the church that Leary and other attendees came from, said they were not affiliated with the demonstration. A student leader from John 15, through which Leary organized the demonstration, also denied affiliation with the group.

“This gathering is not affiliated with or organized by St. Mary’s Catholic Center,” the statement reads. “While there is no specific Church teaching on drag performances, Catholics are encouraged to engage culture with discernment, ensuring that all forms of expression reflect the truth, beauty, and goodness of the human person.”

Following the prayer, most attendees left. Five individuals arrived shortly after with banners that identified them as part of America Needs Fatima and The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, two conservative advocacy groups that describe themselves as “social conservative, anticommunist and monarchist.”

Psychology junior Justino Russell Pueyrredon held up a banner that read “Stop Immoral Draggieland Drag Show” while praying the rosary and spoke to passersby who came up to him. At the start of his prayer, he dedicated his rosary to the end of Draggieland and the return of traditional values to the United States.

“We care about people, and we think gender ideology is harmful to people,” Pueyrredon said. “It’s very detrimental for people’s health …. An analogy that I’ve heard that makes more sense is that of anorexia.”

The analogy that Pueryrredon referenced has been echoed online since 2022, with opinion articles on the topic from Fox News and the Washington Examiner. 

“Since the moment the settlers came over here from Europe, we were always a Christian country,” Pueyrredon said. “I don’t think it makes sense. I think what makes sense is the traditions of our ancestors that built this country.”

The group left at 8:20 p.m.

“In all things, we are called to be a people of peace, prayer, and respectful dialogue, especially when navigating complex cultural issues,” the statement from St. Mary’s reads.