Stigma is one of the biggest challenges individuals with mental illnesses encounter.
QGrad and Student Leaders Advocating for Mental Health (SLAM) at Case Western Reserve University have teamed up to raise money for the Ohio Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to educate the public about mental illness and its misconceptions.
The organizations will present the second annual “Stigma is a Drag,” an evening of entertainment by five drag performers on Friday, Nov. 14, at 9 p.m. at the Jolly Scholar. Admission is $5.
The event brings art and awareness of mental health to the CWRU stage, according to Valentino Zullo, the founder of SLAM and education committee chair of QGrad, the campus’ new LGBTQA Graduate and Professional Student Association.
Last year, SLAM raised nearly $1,000. Zullo hopes to at least double that total this year.
The funds raised will support NAMI’s Mind Movement, a program in which a NAMI representative visits college campuses to promote awareness of mental illnesses, said Zullo.
A NAMI representative will address the audience and talk about the Mind Movement.
For more information, email Zullo at vlz3@case.edu or Carly Hodgins, president of SLAM, at cjh15@case.edu.