Through drag performance, Josh Ricci celebrates the 2SLGBTQI+ community loudly

At the events, Ricci’s drag alter ego Diana Sauss gets to shine. “Diana is very funny, campy, goofy, and unhinged in a lot of ways,” he laughs. “Every performance has its own story.” Ricci’s approach amplifies audience involvement, which he says makes performing all the more gratifying.

Since its inception, Ricci has seen his event grow to now host over 100 people each event. "It’s really fun to be in a space where everyone is really engaged, really excited, really supportive of everything about it," he adds.

In a time of intense cultural and political challenges, particularly for the trans community, Ricci emphasizes the importance of authenticity and advocacy. "Now more than ever, I think it's important to be unabashedly yourself, especially for drag performers." He sees Diana Sauss as a leader in the community, and a voice for people who may not be able to use theirs as easily. “I’m just continuing to put on these events that are going to be unabashedly queer and in your face about the beauty and the joy and the insanity.”

To the community, Ricci wants to say: “There’s nothing wrong with who you are, and in fact, it's a really beautiful, joyful thing to be who you are. I am very obviously privileged as a white, male performer, so I feel it's my duty to position myself to be as great of an ally as I can.”

Ricci’s advocacy doesn’t stop at the queer community, though. For just over a year now, he’s been working as the events and engagement officer at Pathways to Education, a national, charitable organization breaking the cycle of poverty through education. And he says his experience at TMU, especially completing the capstone project, has played a big part in how he approaches community organizing in both his event roles.