Ursula Wasn't a Villain. She Was a Diva

📚Lecture:"Ursula Wasn't a Villian. She Was a Diva"
🎤Speaker: Erica Raley (PhD Student)

What if Ursula the Sea Witch was never really the villain, but the diva? Inspired by drag icon Divine, this lecture dives into Disney’s campy “bad women” and the queer energy hiding beneath their theatricality, excess, and refusal to behave. Through Ursula and other iconic villains, we’ll rethink what it means to be monstrous, dramatic, and delightfully subversive.

Blending queer theory, drag history, Disney nostalgia, and camp aesthetics, this talk explores why villain divas continue to resonate so deeply with queer audiences inspiring generations of drag queens, outsiders, and anyone who’s ever felt a little “too much.

Erica Raley is a PhD student at Carleton University. Her research is in book history, with a focus on contemporary censorship. Outside of her academic career, Erica is a queer booklover, cat lady, and professional overthinker.

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Agenda

6:00pm - Doors open: Grab a seat, order drinks and food and settle in.

6:55pm - Host Introduction

7:00pm - Lecture starts

7:45pm - Q&A with Audience

8:00pm - Socialize and make friends, grab drinks

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