Because clearly a cake sale, drag show and inclusive flags are society’s greatest threats.
Drag artists performing at schools found themselves once again in the crosshairs of right-wing culture warriors this week. Conservative MP for Fareham, Suella Braverman, lashed out at a local secondary school in her constituency for hosting an FA Pride event as part of Pride Month celebrations.
Braverman branded the event a “morally reprehensible safeguarding issue.” Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, the former home secretary said:
“Adults are free to enjoy drag, but children should not be exposed to it at school.
“It’s highly sexualised, presents a demeaning and distorted image of women, and does not fairly represent the LGBTQ+ community either.”
She went on to suggest alternative ways the school could support LGBTQ+ students, saying: “… for example by inviting a lesbian woman or a gay man to talk about their experiences, instead of this offensive, sexualised and wholly inappropriate action.”
The event at Fareham Academy includes a cake sale, face painting, a free BBQ, and a performance by a drag artist generally considered family friendly. A similar event last year raised over £420 for a local LGBTQ+ charity.
The school described the celebration as “a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and raise awareness and show support for the LGBTQ+ community.”
A statement on Fareham Academy’s website notes that the event will once again raise funds for local LGBTQ+ charities and community members.
FA Pride organisers shared similar enthusiasm, stating that this year’s event is set to be “bigger and better than ever before.” They said: “We look forward to seeing our community come together for a day of colour, education and celebration, highlighting diversity, promoting understanding, and showing our pride together.”
Unsurprisingly, the Daily Mail pounced on the story with a predictable headline:
‘School drag artist performance for 11-year-olds during Pride Month is branded ‘morally reprehensible.’’
The paper amplified Braverman’s comments and tied them to broader parental outrage, claiming that some were ‘left furious’ after learning their primary school children were being taught about the “300 different flags of Pride.”
The report notes how leaflets distributed by the charity Swindon and Wiltshire Pride, and shared by the local council, claimed that there are more Pride flags than national flags, with one post displaying a “small selection” of 29. These include the intersex-inclusive Pride flag, the polyamory Pride flag, and even a black-and-white ‘heterosexual flag,’ which, the leaflet notes, may also represent straight transgender individuals.
The Mail quotes one concerned mother, a former teacher, who told them that the guide being shared in schools was “really concerning.”
Dear oh dear… because clearly a cake sale, drag show and inclusive flags are society’s greatest threats.
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