Through its numerous incarnations, the event has evolved from its original title of “Alternative Fashion Show” to the current “Queer Fashion Show” — and this year’s superhero themed extravaganza is sure to pack some Batman and Robin flavored POW!

“It’s a safe space and we try to get as much involvement as we can,” director Ben Flores said. “And we have fun.”

Courtesy of Molly Solomon.

Auditions for numbers in this spring’s show were held on Jan. 26. The show is scheduled to take place in May as a part of Pride Week, a campus-wide celebration of the queer and allied communities. Past performances of QFS have featured dance, spoken word and of course fashion. And Flores is open to “whatever people want to perform.”

The show is completely student-run and the leadership team of graduating seniors is comprised of Flores, producer Gabriela Espinal, Mariah Corbin, Baldemar Hernandez and David Wilmore. The five listened to proposals from artists on Saturday morning to discern which pieces would be a good match for this year’s production, but their work also extends far beyond the creative process.

“It’s all student-run so as far as performances, anything goes,” Flores said. “But we do have to think about a budget and reserving a venue and the business side of things.”

Though the Porter student activities office does provide some funds and advisors to keep the show on track, it’s up to the directors to make the rest of the magic happen. This involves asking college senates for potential funding, raising the rest of the money themselves through bake sales and reserving a space to actually hold the show. But volunteering their time isn’t a problem for these student organizers with a passion for the cause.

“I had recently come out as bisexual and I wasn’t really okay with myself but when you watch the show, you can relate,” said Flores on his first encounter with QFS in 2011.

QFS has meant a lot to them throughout their time at UCSC, whether they found the show when struggling with their own sexuality or were simply intrigued by the name.

“It’s a community to share and be yourself,” Hernandez said. “And a safe place for people to express themselves. You gain something from it no matter what you do.”

Queer Fashion Show leaders held auditions for numbers on Saturday morning for spring’s show. From left to right: Gabriela Espinal, Mariah Corbin, Ben Flores, Baldemar Hernandez and David Wilmore. Photo by Daniela Ruiz.

A second audition will be held Feb. 2 in the Porter Hitchcock Lounge — time TBD — for those looking to produce a piece. A general informational meeting will be held in the coming weeks for interested performers. Choreographers and designers will be looking for dancers and models from all communities, with no specific experience necessary. QFS strives to be open to as many people as possible.

“It’s really the Queer Family Show,” Espinal said.

All the directors endorse the opportunity as a meaningful way to get involved with a tight knit and supportive community.

“It’s a great way to connect with different people, have fun and make a lot of friends,” Flores said. “If you have the chance, do it.”

Photo/Illustration by Morgan Grana.

A sea of students will move through the UCSC campus, flowing from college to college, to support the LGBT community this Saturday.

The seventh annual PRIDE event, this year titled Kresge Presents: The Colors of Pride, is a celebration of the queer and allied community at UC Santa Cruz.

Organized by the Kresge Multicultural Education Committee and the PRIDE Committee, the event will feature a campus-wide parade, culminating in a festival held in Kresge Lower Street.

“When you see everyone wearing the same colored shirts, you get this feeling of, ‘Yeah, I’m not alone in this,’” event co-chair and third-year Mark Corre said.

The two-hour march, beginning at noon at Quarry Plaza, will be led by volunteer and first-year student Ryan King. The throng will travel through each of the 10 colleges, picking up more and more students along the way.

PRIDE is the biggest queer-affiliated event on campus, with an estimated attendance of 500 at the festival, which takes place after the parade.

Each college features a unique activity, including a dance at Merrill College and an ice cream social at College Eight. For the first year, Family Student Housing will participate by handing out homemade refreshments to marchers and joining the parade, King said.

Volunteers will distribute free items like shirts and water bottles at each stop.

The march ends at Kresge Plaza at 2 p.m., where the festival begins. There, UCSC student groups like ImPower and community organizations like the Santa Cruz AIDS Project will host activity booths with free face painting and other fun activities.

Aloha Grill and Saturn Café will provide free food, including vegetarian and vegan options.

Committee co-chair and fourth-year literature major and education minor Emily Navas said, “various activities accumulate to the excitement and fun that each person can hope to experience and remember in years to come.”

Performances by UCSC Cheer, Acquire, the Hightones, Slugs in Fishnets, and bands Beaver Fever and Feed Me Jack, among others, will perform throughout the afternoon, Navas said.

The festival will feature a guest speaker, Aurora Guerrero, director of “Mosquita y Mari,” a film about the coming of age of two Chicanas and their intimate friendship. PRIDE collaborated with El Centro to have Guerrero speak at the festival.

“Guerrero’s speech is sure to make a lasting impression at the festival,” Corre said.

Members of the queer and allied community will unite and form a single body of support. Corre said with Family Student Housing’s participation and a new keynote speaker, the growth of PRIDE shows the growth of the queer community at UCSC.

“[PRIDE] connects everyone, no matter who you are,” Corre said. “If you’re queer, if you’re allied, if you’re from a different college — it doesn’t matter. You’re there for one cause.”