Big-city nightclub scene meets drag show meets Oxford: This is what Code Pink brings to the Oxford Square, in addition to providing new opportunities for aspiring performers and a safe space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Fonda LaFemme performs at the Code Pink Christmas drag show in Oxford, MS on Dec. 10, 2021. Photo courtesy: HG Biggs.

Code Pink was established by Matt Kessler in the spring of 2016 and was passed along to Blake Summers, the current director, later that year. Since its founding, Code Pink has strived to bring new opportunities and a “big city experience” to the LGBTQIA+ community in Oxford and its surrounding areas.

“Matt was a grad student and eventually moved to New York,” Summers said. “I was a performance artist at first, and when he moved, I inherited it.”

The drag show started as a DJ and two performers at Proud Larry’s. However, Summers said the event’s popularity boomed on Halloween of 2016.

The line was wrapped around the building, and this huge nightlife scene exploded, according to Summers.

Summers said that the first mission statement included the desire to have a safe space. Now, that concept is what he is most proud of.

“I want people to feel like they have a space where they can dance with who they want, kiss who they want and just feel completely comfortable,” Summers said. “Now we’ve even got allies coming because they feel safe there, too. That safe space — that’s what I’m most proud of.”

Summers has recently transitioned Code Pink into an LLC as opposed to an organization. He anticipates this transition will increase the opportunities that Code Pink can offer their performers and production team members.

“Our other mission is to give young people opportunities,” Summers said. “Whether that’s being a DJ, a drag queen or working in design, we want to give them a platform and pay them.”

Post COVID-19 lock-down, Summers made the decision to cancel two events.

“I have to protect our community, whether they agree or disagree,” he said. “People missed it. It wasn’t forgotten. We’re lucky to have such a strong brand and to have become a tradition. People care about this.”

Following the hiatus, Summers said the hunger was there, and that people weren’t afraid anymore.

Since its return, Code Pink has brought in artists from all over the country. Summers believes that with their support, people will have a better outlook on LGBTQIA+ life in the South. He hopes to decrease the stigma around the queer scene and provide a better outlook for the community’s future.

As for the future of Code Pink, Summers said the size will depend on the ambition of the group.

“As a director, I have to make the choice: ‘Do I want to give people opportunities, or do I make us the best of the best?’ At this moment, I want to work with my local community. I want to give kids opportunities,” Summers said.

One night at a time, Code Pink, and the drag scene at large, offer an opportunity to connect with others, whether that be within the performance space or as an audience member.

“It’s about sharing an experience, giving people something to enjoy,” Summers said. “I think that’s really all people want, to connect more than superficially. I like to give people hope and a different reality if they need it.”

Summers said that he has seen many victories, but they have all been in small ways.

“We see people coming out of their shells and even older people saying ‘We never thought we’d see this,’ or ‘we can’t believe this is happening,’” Summers said.

Many people go to Code Pink and have a great time, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere the event consistently creates.

“The atmosphere and energy at Code Pink is very, very different from a typical night at Proud Larry’s,” Michael Scruggs, a Proud Larry’s waiter and host, said. “It’s more lively and more fun.”

With recent shifts in the political climate, LGBTQIA+ students are able to find and make their own spaces more easily than they could in the past. Although posters may be ripped down and hate is a prominent issue, Code Pink has garnered support from many local businesses. Queer people are generally more accepted in Oxford now than they were five years ago, when Summers graduated from the university.