Why Drag?

At last night's city council meeting, the last speaker in the public comments portion mentioned she had never heard a rationalization for why it is important that children have access to drag story hour and family-friendly drag shows.

Interestingly, three parents had just mentioned how a drag event had been a significant turning point in their children's lives as they found a community of acceptance where they could be themselves.

Story hour is about reading books on inclusion and celebrating the worth of all amid all our differences. That is a very important message for children. It is especially important in a context rampant with bullying over disabilities, race, ethnicity, language, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

Story hour does not sexualize children. Most children have no clue that the entertainer dressed up in a wild outfit is anything other than the character being portrayed. We do sexualize constantly as we ask preschoolers about their love interests, dress up little girls for beauty pageants, and expose them to Looney Tunes with its pervasive theme of sexual attraction to the female form.

Obviously, all drag shows are not geared for families. No art form is consistently geared for all ages. What children are exposed to in family-friendly drag is generally much less suggestive and risqué than a stage production of Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, or Aladdin.

Drag events are entertainment. They also celebrate diversity. They create a space where all are accepted, where stereotypes are challenged, where people are forced to confront some of their prejudices, and where entertainers perform amazing gymnastic feats in their dance.

One mother mentioned that as her child was being bullied, they found refuge at a drag show, where they found immediate acceptance and love.

Another mother mentioned that her child was struggling with acceptance by their school peers, but found immediate belonging with the crowd and entertainers at a drag show.

Another parent told me she was bringing her child to drag story hour to begin them on the path of offering love and acceptance to all persons.

Another parent reported bringing children to a drag story hour to let them know that they were not the only ones living in a non-normative nuclear family context.

Another parent reported bringing children to a drag story hour so that their LGBTQ kid could witness there being a supportive community of children and adults who would include and accept them.

Another parent mentioned how important representation was to their children. They needed access to drag story hour and drag shows to know that there were spaces where they were seen, heard, and accepted for who they are.

In a context in which states are passing and proposing laws that further marginalize the LGBTQ+ community and specifically those who are transgender, having safe spaces and events that celebrate their inclusion are tremendously important. They are a corrective to the suicide rate among LGBTQ+ teens. Having access to LGBTQ+ supportive and safe spaces decreases the rates of suicide. Simply having one supportive adult in their lives cuts suicide risk by 40%.

This is why drag events are important to the LGBTQ+ community. No, no one is forcing you to attend or bring your kid/grandkid to a drag show. Meanwhile, the community is crying out for safe spaces to live, breathe, interact, and find belonging. Drag helps accomplish that. If for nothing else, it's pretty obvious that the folks responsible for so much bullying and other violence against the LGBTQ+ community are not going to be attending. That makes it a safe space and a respite from so much vitriol.

— ©Copyright 2023, Christopher B. Harbin 

http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/

My latest books  can be found here on Amazon