Under a canopy on a warm day, about 30 attendees gathered to practice mindfulness, grounding and positive affirmations at a drag yoga session June 23.
Hosted at First Magnitude Brewing Company and led by the Kardiya Yoga studio June 9 and 23, attendees learned to “embody their own expression” in the comedic commentary of local Drag Queen Emma Gration.
Kardiya Yoga leads open classes twice a month at the brewery, but in honor of Pride month, both June sessions were themed for the occasion, and all donations received were given to the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida (PCCNCF), an LGBTQ+ organization offering safe spaces, resources, services and events across 13 counties in north central Florida.
Neena Beena, a 29-year-old Gainesville resident, was the instructor in charge of the session as their third performance at First Magnitude, they said.
Following the Pride theme, Beena said they aimed to create a welcoming environment where the session’s deep breathing exercises were coupled with “letting go of heteronormativity” and “embodying the queer love that surrounds you.”
“I like to remind people that yoga is their practice,” they said.
Daniel Fischer, a 31-year-old Gainesville resident, is the taproom leader of First Magnitude, which also hosted drag bingo and a partnership with PCCNCF for “Pride Party” June 8 in honor of Pride month.
In 2023, following state restrictions on gender affirming care and sex-at-birth bathroom use, First Magnitude started to host more Pride events, he said.
“Breweries, to me, are a place where you can just walk in and hang out with friends,” Fischer said. “We’re all about making it a good atmosphere and a place to be.”
Gration, a 26-year-old Gainesville resident and drag queen, wore an outfit mirroring the “Great Shape Barbie” doll, complete with hot pink legwarmers and white-heeled gogo boots. Her rainbow fan blew away the long, blond hair from her face.
After suffering a bad breakup and finding herself in University Club, a Gainesville gay bar, she was inspired to become a drag queen.
“Some lovely drag queen said, ‘Hey, you’re in a glitter beard. You should do drag,’” Gration said. “She became my drag mom, and the rest was history.”
Gration is also the event coordinator and a board member of PCCNCF. Her involvement makes her feel closer to the community, she said.
“Partnering up with the Pride Center has really opened my doors within the community,” she said. “I’ve gotten to meet so many lovely people.”
Gration can also be found at First Magnitude drag bingo events, drag brunch at the coffee shop Curia on the Drag, the Pride street party at The Bull and regular performances at University Club.
Elliott Schmidt, a 27-year-old Gainesville resident and therapist, has attended the yoga sessions for almost one year. First Magnitude’s “beer garden” provided a Pride-focused environment that wasn’t centered around drinking or partying, he said.
“It’s good to have a variety of options for people who don’t drink or are younger or are just not into that,” he said. “Especially to see [events] focused on health and fitness is amazing.”
Gainesville resident Sage Schaefer, Apex yoga studio assistant director, said she attended the event for the “yoga and gay sh-t.”
Unlike other drag-featured events, such as drag brunch or drag book readings, the 23-year-old found it interesting that drag was featured in a yoga practice.
“I’ve been to Pride events that happen to have yoga events going on but never with a drag queen in attendance,” Schaefer said.
Emily Pendley, a 28-year-old Gainesville resident, works with Schaefer at their yoga studio. LGBTQ+ events are important for spreading awareness within the community, she said.
“Visibility is important,” Pendley said. “Giving people a platform to talk about things that matter to them is always really special.”
First Magnitude’s next yoga session will take place June 30.
Contact Sara-James Ranta at sranta@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sarajamesranta.
Sara-James Ranta is a third-year journalism major, minoring in sociology of social justice and policy. Previously, she served as a general assignment reporter for The Alligator's university desk.
