Laurel
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.— Penn State student Luke Nosal is a person of many talents. Not only do they study orchestral conducting at the School of Music, star in the School of Theatre’s production of Men on Boats as a gender-neutral character, but they are also a household name in the drag community in central PA known as Opulence.
Nosal helped start Opulence at Penn State and was one of the first to perform in drag at the university. Their drag persona, Laurel Charleston, is a crowd favorite at every performance.
Nosal found inspiration for their drag name from their mom, Laurel Carleston, as a parody of their relationship and gender in general. Although their relationship with their parents isn’t perfect, Nosal's mom and dad have recently been supporting them from afar.
Nosal’s father came to his first drag show this month and even helped count Laurel’s tips after the show.
Nosal says that drag can be “anything you want it to be. It’s not just for cisgender gay white men. Drag can be for anyone.”
Their goal is to help create a safe space for people in the LGBTQ+ community at Penn State and to help issues in the LGBTQ+ community gain visibility through drag and music.
