by Kaizaad Kotwal

Columbus--After a drenching rain, the annual Bat �n� Rouge drag softball game became more like a game of mud ball.

About 30 minutes after the Sunday game began, the skies opened and torrents of rain and wind stopped the game for about 20 minutes, turning the field into a sloppy mess of water and muck. Not to mention dripping wigs, soaked hose and unruly mascara running down all those fabulously painted faces.

But the guys in dresses and gals in jocks didn�t let a lot of rain dampen their spirits in helping raise money for LGBT and HIV causes in Columbus, including the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization Stonewall Columbus and Camp Sunrise.

Organized by the Columbus Lesbian and Gay Softball Association, the event was hosted by local drag goddesses Nina West, Virginia West and Vivi Velure.

The judges this year were WCMH Channel 4 anchor Marshall McPeek and Miss Ohio 2008 Monica Day, the only non-drag queen in a tiara at the event.

The game attracted over 8,000 fans to the Africentric School�s fields, with many food and merchandise vendors selling their wares.

It was a who�s who of Hollywood�s hottest and Tinseltown�s washed-up all in one, playing either for the Hygienes or the Monistats, the two teams vying for the championship.

Playing for the Hygienes were Ugly Betty from the ABC hit; Rachel Gay with a humongous bosom modeled after cooking show host Rachel Ray; Hannah Montana aka Miley Cyrus; Wonder Woman; Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City; Serena and Venus Williams taking a break from this week�s Wimbledon festivities in England, and Tiger Woods on crutches, fresh out from surgery. Woods was the only drag king competing.

The Monistats were represented by Britney Spears, who managed to keep her panties on all through the event; Turbulence Skybus, named for the short-lived Columbus discount airline, and Jessica Jehad and Fanny Fatwah from Iraq. No line is too sacred to cross in this event and Jehad and Fatwah showed up in brown-face and burqas to play in the game.

The Monistats� most infamous player was Amy Winehouse, who came straight from performing at Nelson Mandela�s 90th birthday extravaganza in London. Winehouse had her humongous beehive hairdo, drug paraphernalia; and imprisoned husband Blake, who had been released from prison for a weekend for a very good cause.

Those were just some of the notables who showed up to play in the 13th annual Bat �n� Rouge as a part of the closing day of Pride celebrations. Two cheerleading squads, also in drag, amply aided the outrageous game.

There were some issues with the sound system functioning, due to a power outage on Broad Street earlier that day.

Even with the torrential rain causing a delay, most of the fans waited around to see the rest of the game.