Youth Theatre Camp Under Fire for Teaching “Art of Drag”
A weekend camp hosted by the Young Actors’ Theatre Camp in Northern California, which included teaching children from eight years old about drag and creating their own drag personas, has sparked controversy online. The camp’s organizer, Shawn Ryan, is undeterred by the backlash and has even invited stars from shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race to participate in the camp. Ryan believes that teaching drag is important to educate youngsters and combat transphobia.
According to Ryan, drag has a long-standing history dating back to Shakespearean times and its inclusion in popular films like Tootsie and The Birdcage. The event has drawn strong criticism online, with some people calling for parents who take their children to be arrested. Critics argue that the idea of drag being taught to young children is inappropriate and could have lasting negative effects on their development.
CBC Faces Criticism for Normalizing Drag Performers to Children
The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) recently broadcast a story called “Queens and Kids in Class: An Honest Conversation about Drag, Gender, and Dress-up.” The program featured grade school-aged children talking to a male drag performer about what it meant to be a drag queen. Critics accused CBC of trying to “normalize” drag performance for children.
The children appeared uncomfortable during the segment, and some people on social media questioned why there was a push to bring young kids into adult entertainment. Conservative podcast hosts called for the CBC to lose its taxpayer funding or be shut down. In addition, some Twitter users argued that it was inappropriate for the Canadian public broadcaster to promote adult entertainment aimed at young children.
CBC Promotes Drag Queens to Young Children despite Backlash
CBC recently published a video segment where two drag queens sat down with New Brunswick schoolchildren to talk about drag, gender, and dress-up. The news organization seems to have a mission to promote drag queens to young children, along with public libraries and other cultural institutions.
The male drag performers featured in the video segment have sexually explicit pictures on their public Instagram pages. The article argues that it is difficult to find a drag performer who does not engage in sexually provocative behavior on social media.
Critics argue that the segment had an insidious subcurrent that seemed to make the children nervous and pressured them to please the drag performers. The children were also taught to get along with people who may give them the creeps, which some people see as grooming.
Overall, the backlash surrounding the introduction of young children to drag performers at youth theatre camps and through various media channels has sparked a heated debate about appropriateness and suitability for young audiences. While proponents argue that drag can be an educational tool for combating transphobia, critics believe that teaching young children about adult entertainment is inappropriate and potentially harmful.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
