By Natalie Rodgers
Picture this: A group of citizen scientists board a ship in Florida. They’re going out to tag sharks, hoping their research will lead to discoveries and greater conversations around marine animals, ecological well-being and conservation policy. As they spend the day learning the ins and outs of shark tagging, they begin forming connections and long-lasting friendships with the other people on board. These friends then gather on the ship’s deck after a long day out on the water to watch as one of the crew’s scientists performs a drag show. Yes, you heard that right: A drag show.
This is where Miss Toto steps in.
Created and hosted by marine scientist and drag queen Miss Toto, along with co-creator Jake Jerome, the fourth annual “Drag ‘n Tag” event features both shark tagging—a critical way in which the ocean and its inhabitants are studied—as well as an on-ship drag queen performance in the middle of the ocean. But this event is so much more than simply about shark tagging or drag performances; it’s about providing a safe community to LGBTQ+ youth while also encouraging them in the world of STEM.
The Beginning
In 2015, Miss Toto was accustomed to being one of the few Black and queer people in her spaces. In the classroom, she was earning her master’s degree in marine affairs and policy—a field that was predominately filled with straight white men—and in her spare time, pursuing bodybuilding with a similar demographic. Despite being the minority inside as well as outside of the classroom, she decided that it was more important to be present than to exclude herself.
“Marine science is predominately made up of white cisgender men,” Miss Toto told DiversityComm Magazine. “At first, I found myself wondering if I would find comradery or if I could really pursue this degree, but then I was like ‘No, I can do this. I’m going to figure this out, I’ll be there and I’ll be visible.”
As she neared the end of her program, Miss Toto found another passion in drag. She not only began to receive notoriety for her performances, but connected with those who had a similar background. “I found myself making a really solid friend group with other queer people and not just from athletics or from my degree,” she said.
As she continued to perform in drag and pursue her marine sciences career simultaneously, the community she came to love and the career path she wanted to pursue planted an idea in her mind—what if the two worlds could come together?
Drag ‘n Tag is Born
While working with the Field School, an educational facility dedicated to hands-on marine biology research, Miss Toto was inspired to bring queer visibility to the STEM field. She wanted to create a space that not only furthered STEM research, but created a welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community.
Having an interest in sharks and their contribution to science, Miss Toto and one of her colleagues began toying with the idea of a shark tagging and drag show event. The shark tagging would be a great opportunity to further marine research—bringing in people who were interested in the sciences—while the drag show portion would garner the attention of the LGBTQ+ community. “We talked about it for years and then one day, we had the school’s support and we figured, why don’t we just do it?” Miss Toto said.
The first Drag ‘n Tag took place in 2021 and featured numerous options to join the day of fun. Participants who wanted to fully embrace the shark tagging could be taught how to take measurements and samples in a hands-on experience, while other options existed for people to simply observe the process or only participate in the sunset cruise drag show. As Miss Toto and the Field School hoped, the event not only garnered popularity among Florida’s queer community, but also created a more inclusive scientific experience.
“There are so many people who could be interested in STEM, but are discouraged because of the lack of representation,” Miss Toto stated. “Events like Drag ‘n Tag help queer people find communities outside of nightlife or going to bars and introduces the sciences in a unique way.”
More Than Science & A Show
While the expedition is entertaining, encourages diversity in the STEM field and a chance for professional networking, one of its most important missions is to help Florida’s LGBTQ+ population find their community.
To that end, Drag ‘n Tag donates all of its proceeds to Pridelines (pridelines.org), a nonprofit dedicated to the visibility and well-being of queer youth in Florida—currently one of the more difficult places in the country for the LGBTQ+ individuals to receive support.
“From day one, Drag ‘n Tag has always been about the queer community,” Miss Toto emphasized. “We wanted to provide a space for queer youth to connect and raise money in areas that aren’t always the most supportive of the LGBTQ+ communities.”
What’s to Come
Although Drag ‘n Tag only takes place in Florida, Miss Toto is hopeful that this will soon change, as she has plans to expand the program to other states across the country. In the meantime, Miss Toto is currently working on programming for Chicago’s upcoming Shark Week, continuing to pursue her career as a drag queen and planning the details for Drag ‘n Tag’s fifth annual event.
For those interested in attending, you can visit fieldschoolfoundation.org/dragntag.html for more information or to donate to Pridelines—an opportunity that is available on the website all year long.
Explore more articles for the LGBTQ+ Community here.
