With wild costumes, disco, Beaver Queen pageant celebrates difference, environment in Durham

Though there was cloudy weather, around 1,000 people came out to vote for their favorite contestant for the 2018 Beaver Queen.

Audience members could cast votes online, text in a vote or bribe a judge to vote for $5. This year, the ECWA raised over $20,000 with this event.

The judges, who were the largest contributors to the event, and the contestants made for laughable characters and entertainment. The event was disco-themed, with songs like "Beaver Town" in place of "Funky Town" and "Beaver Queen" instead of "Dancing Queen," playing throughout the day.

Frank Stasio, WUNC radio host of The State of Things, led the audience through six wildly dressed constants, asking them questions with sexual innuendo that brought cheers from the crowd.

An ECWA committee taps contestants, who then spend months campaigning for votes and preparing for the event, just as a real pageant contestant would. Included in the 2018 field was Marcie Paddlepaws, a dog competing against five humans.

Chris Dreps, executive director of ECWA, said that at the Beaver Queen Pageant was an organic event growing from community ideas. He said the event started as a grassroots effort to help protect a community of beavers in Ellerbe Creek. It has evolved beyond mere environmental consciousness-raising to a playful way to address other serious social issues.

Dreps said with national changes in leadership in the Environmental Protection Agency "not doing the job of protecting the environment," it is important for the local community to come together.

The LGBTQ community played an important role in the event, with numerous pride flags -- and tails -- in the crowd. The 2018 Beaver Queen Pageant winner, Flat Tailed Fanny, was a disco-queen cross dresser.

"It exists to address a whole lot of community issues, not just the environment, but just diversity here in the community," Dreps said.

Advertised as a family-friendly event, young children attended the event, despite the revealing clothing and sexual jokes. Dreps admitted some of the humor was "pretty biting."

"It's a pageant, but it's a tongue-and-cheek pageant," Dreps said.

Events for kids were held throughout the day, where children were encouraged to create their own beaver tail, participate in water games and special dances on the meadow.

Rachel Cohn, the operations manager at the ECWA, said the event was unique to Durham, not only bringing awareness and funding to the environment but celebrating the LGBTQ community.

"It's a really great event where we can celebrate people for who they are," Cohn said.