If the thought of attending any kind of opening party inside a quiet public library sounds odd to you, that’s because it is. And it was. Until the Queens arrived. The drinks were poured and DJ Ambrosia Salad blasted “Funky Town” through her speakers to the obvious liking of not one but THREE Tina Turners. But let’s back up a bit…

Just an hour beforehand we found ourselves standing in line at the West Hollywood Public Library (another odd thing) on a Saturday night waiting to check in for “A Brief History of Drag,“ a DRAG ANGELES exhibition chronicling the LA and WeHo drag scenes from the late 1800s through the present. Upon arrival this scene was quiet and I mean that in the literal sense. Apparently being in a library really motivated people to whisper while they slowly strolled by a wall of collaged poster boards of drag queens from decades past. A highlight of this browsing was the gallery wall filled with stunning portraits by Austin Young. However, the art in general, while informative, was as sleepy as the vibe and we were beginning to question the contradiction in drag culture and choice of venue. But then all of a sudden the real art entered the room and magic happened.

One by one the sound of stilettos on granite (or Gucci heels on a hover board, ahem Willam) emerged to the second floor and the entire crowd turned to watch the most beautiful drag queens make their appearances into the exhibition. An older couple stood behind me as one man leaned into the other and whispered “THIS is beautiful. THIS is disruption,” to which I couldn’t disagree. Suddenly the library as venue became a metaphor for pushing boundaries and embracing contradictions—or maybe that was the alcohol talking—but either way the entire night changed. Like clockwork the bar poured more drinks, the music got louder, and the get-down on the dance floor was undeniably infectious. This was a celebration of history at its most fabulous.