It was Cinco de Mayo and the Memorial Union Quad was filled with students and staff eating free tacos and nachos, but the source of the fiesta was a bit unusual.

Instead of one of the OSU Latino student groups, it was Pride Center representatives who were dishing out the good eats.

Monday was the beginning of Pride Week on campus, and free food was a good way to bring smiles to the faces of passing students.

“It’s a great turnout,” said Steven Leider, program coordinator of LGBT outreach and services, who was dishing out onions and olives at the end of the line. “We’ve served 350 meals so far.”

Leider said the week was packed with events ranging from a mini film festival to the perennially popular drag show that crowns the week on Friday.

The drag show features professional drag queens such as Poison Waters, as well as students, faculty and staff who perform as drag kings and queens, as well as faux queens, which are women dressed like drag queens.

Standing the middle of the quad and attracting attention with her pink cowboy hat, short shorts and sky high heels was Tempest (a.k.a. Chelsea Whitlow), an OSU senior who will be performing in Friday’s show. Her friend Tristen Shay, a graduate student, was participating as a drag coach for the event.

Tempest said she found the campus, and surrounding community, a tolerant place.

“It’s been pretty inclusive for the most part,” she said. “OSU and Corvallis are amazing.”

Tempest will be performing to “It’s Raining Men,” Friday night, along with a fellow drag performer. Her shimmering top and high velocity glitter eye shadow on Monday were just a warm up for the Friday night event.

Nearby, two large pieces of plywood were propped up in the center of the quad, with spray cans at the ready so that students could spray positive messages across the boards.

“They can spray supportive graffiti about LGBT people as opposed to the usual negative graffiti,” Leider explained.

Freshmen Jean Plotkin and Fey Egan were taking advantage of the opportunity and painting happy flowers and smiles across the bottom of the board. They had never participated in a pride event before, but were planning on attending the drag show Friday.

“I think it’s really cool that they’ve set up out here,” Plotkin said.

What Plotkin has noticed is how different cultural centers were willing to work together on campus. As a member of Hillel, a Jewish student group on campus, she’s been to the Pride Center because that’s where Hillel holds its meetings.

“Different groups kind of support each other,” she said.

PRIDE WEEK CALENDAR

TODAY

11 a.m. to noon: Lesbian health. A discussion by Jennifer Jabson of Peer Health Advocates. Memorial Union 208.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Supporting newly out folk. Open forum discussion. Memorial Union 208.

4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Rich Kiamco meet and greet. Club Escape, OSU Campus.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Comedian performance: Rich Kiamco in “Unaccessorize.” Kiamco, a gay Filipino performer, has an award-winning one-man show. Club Escape.

8 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Bowl with SOL. Join SOL, the LGBTQQIA multi-cultural support network, for a night of bowling. Memorial Union basement.

WEDNESDAY

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Mythbusters! A spoof on the popular TV series debunking common myths about the LGBT community. Memorial Union Quad.

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Film festival part 1. “The Believers.” Memorial Union 208.

4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Film, “Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-Gay Movement.” Memorial Union 208.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Film screening and discussion, “For the Bible tells me so.” Westminster House, 101 N.W. 23 St.

THURSDAY

Noon to 2 p.m.: Lube Olympics and drag racing. Memorial Union Quad.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Film festival part 2, “Harsh Beauty.” Memorial Union 208.

4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Film, “Transparent.” Memorial Union 208.

5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Film screening and discussion: “The Times of Harvey Milk.” MU 208.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Queer Vox. Performance and open mic night. Pride Center on campus.

FRIDAY

8 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Drag show featuring Poison Waters. Doors open at 7:15, all ticket holders must be in by 7:50 p.m. or forfeit ticket. Limited availability general admission at 7:50 p.m. Free tickets at Student Involvement (149 MU East) and in the Pride Week Information Tent on the MU Quad. Drag show held in the Memorial Union Ballroom.