Students don carabiners and Labubus as part of viral contests
By LAILA AZHAR — features@theaggie.org
On Sept. 27, 2025, students gathered in front of the Peter J. Shields library on the UC Davis campus for a “performative male contest.” Less than a week later, on Oct. 3, 2025, a similar contest, this time for “performative masc lesbians,” was held.
The contests — which were organized anonymously on YikYak — have sprung up on college campuses across the country, playing off popular online archetypes.
The “performative male” is often depicted as a matcha-drinking and Clairo-listening man who adopts traits and interests associated with femininity in an attempt to garner attention from women. The “performative masc lesbian” is similarly characterized by traits aimed at gaining attention from women; however, this archetype leans on common online jokes and stereotypes surrounding lesbians, such as wearing jorts and snapback hats or having tattoos.
The performative male trend has garnered criticism by some who believe the trend discourages genuine vulnerability and emotional expression; others argue it simply satirizes how gender and sensitivity are performed in modern culture.
For many, the contests have been a way to turn online jokes into shared, communal experiences.
Nina Jorgensen, a 2022 UC Davis graduate and an administrative officer for the College of Biological Sciences dean’s office, attended the performative masc lesbian contest after hearing about it through their friends. Their “performative masc” costume included a carabiner, a backwards snapback, a Superclean, a “Vol. II” by The Marias vinyl and a copy of Brené Brown’s “Atlas of the Heart.”
“My favorite part of this whole thing was how spontaneous and authentic the event felt,” Jorgensen said, noting the irony. “Yes, there was authenticity at an event for ‘performative’ stereotypes.”
Jorgensen then pointed out the significance of an event highlighting queer culture at a time when many LGBTQ+ individuals feel unsafe.
“Participating in a flash mob based on queer culture — especially when queer rights are contested on the national level — was really heartwarming and speaks to how tight-knit supportive the queer community is in Davis,” Jorgensen said. “There was a whole lot of putting trust in strangers to show up, in a time where people could have very easily and reasonably not shown up.”
Another student who attended the contest, who chose to remain anonymous in order to keep her sexuality private, noted the uniqueness of the event.
“It was nice to attend an event on campus that didn’t involve networking or career
advancement in any way,” the student said. “There’s an expectation in college that everything you do has to be optimized to look the best on a resume, so it was fun to be at a silly, lighthearted event that was organized for nothing other than having fun.”
Even students who only viewed the event enjoyed witnessing others’ costumes.
Jacob Nguyen, a third-year managerial economics major, was walking around campus when he saw the “performative male” contest.
“At first I was confused about why there was a huge crowd outside the library,” Nguyen said. “I vaguely remembered seeing something about the contest on Instagram, and, as I got closer and saw everyone’s outfits, I quickly realized that’s what it was.”
He watched the contest for a while, noting the energy and creativity of the participants.
“I think people had a great time getting to dress up for a unique event,” Nguyen said. “Just from watching it, I definitely felt a sense of fun and community — like, ‘wow this feels like exactly the type of thing you would stumble upon at a college campus.’ It’s just so college.”
For many students, what began as an online joke managed to create a moment of shared laughter, capturing the spirit of college life. Considering the interconnectedness of both the UC Davis campus and its online community through platforms like YikYak, similar events are sure to take place in the coming months.
Written by: Laila Azhar — features@theaggie.org
