University of Kentucky students competed for the title of the most “performative masc lesbian,” as well as a $20 prize outside of the William T. Young Library. 

On Friday, Sept. 19, the student-organized “Performative Masc Lesbian Competition” had students compete in multiple categories, including an outfit review and answering questions about their favorite music artist and go-to pick-up lines. 

After each round, competitors were eliminated based on who received the least applause from attendees. 

Rhiannon White, a sophomore biology student, said she organized the event after she made a post on the social media platform Yik Yak, pitching the idea to students. 

Despite her post only asking for 50 “upvotes” to get her to organize the competition, White said the post reached about 100. 

“I was like, You know what, it seems like a lot to kind of like, do all that,’” White said. “But then people started messaging me on Yik Yak, and they really wanted it.” 

While White said she didn’t believe women could be performative, she said she’s met a few “performative masc (masculine) lesbians,” which she said are lesbians who pretend to enjoy certain things to appeal to women. 

“I just say it’s something does not represent their true spirit,” White said. “It’s like women’s validation, it’s not truly who they are.” 

Sophia Carattini, a junior equine science major, won the competition after getting past multiple rounds of elimination. 

Originally, Carattini said she was just going to watch the competition with her friends, but ultimately decided to compete last minute.

It wasn’t just the win that made Carattini excited, as she said it made her happy to be in a space surrounded by other lesbians and queer people.

“I feel safe in my space, and it’s amazing,” Carattini said.

In her experience, she said it can be difficult to find other queer people in Kentucky, and that the competition gave her a way to make new friends. 

“This is the first lesbian centered thing that I’ve ever seen on campus,” Carattini said. “I think it created a really safe space for everyone to come out, have fun.”

This sentiment of acceptance and belonging resonated with competition judge Kennedy Long, a freshman law and justice major, who said it was “just really fun” to be around other queer people. 

“It’s so nice to be in a space where you feel like you can be fully yourself, and you feel like you can be safe,” Long said. “It’s like no matter what I say, I’m not necessarily going to get judged for it.”

Long said the competition also gave lesbian students a chance to reclaim the stereotypes people often use against the community.

“We’re going to make a joke out of this, and we’re going to make a performance out of this,” Long said. “We’re gonna make a community out of this, despite the fact that certain things can be harmful stereotypes.” 

Being able to recognize that being queer is a normal thing was important, according to Long, who said the competition could help students find other queer and like-minded people.

“It doesn’t have to be an isolating experience,” Long said. “It can be, but it doesn’t have to be.”