Growing up, Kate Wajda ’13 always had an interest in the circus, but it wasn’t until she came to Illinois State University, that she was able to find her true home in circus performing. Now, she’s able to create that inclusive home for others in the LGBTQIA+ community in the rodeo scene across the state of Illinois.
Appears InAlthough Wajda grew up watching circus performances, she wasn’t able to perform herself until she was able to pay for the classes as a teenager.
“As soon as I was able to, I started taking classes at the different circus schools in the Chicago area, and before I knew it, I was hooked,” said Wajda.
When Wajda had to decide where to further her education after high school, she had one place in mind, Illinois State University, where she could continue to pursue her passion for performing with the oldest collegiate circus in the nation, Gamma Phi Circus.
With practice several nights a week, as well as taking circus classes with other members, it was in Gamma Phi that Wajda found her home away from home on campus.
“I ended up being roommates with other students in Gamma Phi Circus. They became a part of my extended family,” said Wajda.
As a student in Gamma Phi, Wajda was primarily performing in aerial and trapeze acts, but she soon discovered a new type of performance art when she was introduced to horseback and bull riding. Although she had never ridden horses before, it would soon become her main area of competition.
“What I loved about horseback and bull riding was that it’s like the rodeo and the circus combined,” said Wajda. “After I found a coach and started taking classes, I eventually got my own horse and started doing trick riding at local rodeos and circuses.”
Following Commencement, the agriculture major took her skills south as she moved to Texas and continued to compete in local rodeos. While there, she met a group of women who introduced her to the Texas Gay Rodeo Association. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Wajda was relieved to find a rodeo community that was open and accepting of individuals from all different types of backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, and cultures.
After moving back to Illinois, where Wajda was working freelance as an event specialist, she came across a similar organization based out of her home state, the Illinois Gay Rodeo Association (ILGRA), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to Queer rodeo and raising funds for community-related charities.
In the past, ILGRA put on several rodeo events throughout the year, but because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has become less active in recent years. After her positive experiences with the Texas Gay Rodeo Association, Wajda knew she wanted to be a part of creating a similar safe space in the rodeo world for those who identify as LGBTQIA+ in Illinois.
Today, Wajda serves as the vice president of ILGRA, where she’s currently working with other members to spread the word and rebuild this inclusive organization. Throughout the rebuild, ILGRA members have been fundraising, working towards developing a rodeo in conjunction with other gay rodeo associations in the Midwest, and attending other rodeos across the country.
“I know how I felt not being able to be myself and being treated differently when I was trying to ride bulls. I don’t think anyone should ever have to feel that way,” said Wajda. “It’s just such a positive environment. Everybody is so supportive of one another. Even though you’re competing against each other, you’re all friends and family.”
Throughout the month of June, ILGRA has been spreading its messages of positivity and acceptance in several Illinois communities by marching in local Pride parades and attending other Pride events. Pride Month has been the perfect opportunity for ILGRA to connect with other members of the LGBTQIA+ community across the state of Illinois, and it is Wajda’s hope that these efforts can help the organization continue to grow and flourish to create a welcoming environment for all in rodeos.
