- Editor’s note: Also see: EXCLUSIVE: Parents Question Why Virginia High School Staging Drag Musical, Brunch, The Daily Signal
Abigail Olsson | The Washington Stand
While June is over a month away, West Potomac High School is offering a variety of Pride events over the next few weeks — including a discussion with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Pride, a drag queen brunch, and a spring musical production of Kinky Boots. Beyond the Page Theatre Company sent a mass email to “Theatre Arts Patrons” on April 17, advertising the three upcoming events.
“Beyond the Page Theatre Company is thrilled to announce our spring musical production of Kinky Boots, in collaboration with FCPS Pride,” the email began.
“This 2013 Tony Award winning musical is a sensational show that celebrates diversity, acceptance and the power of self-expression.” The 2005 film-turned-Broadway musical features a drag queen named Lola who rescues a man’s dying shoe factory. The Fairfax County high school is offering eight showtimes from April 25 through May 4. While the event is open to family and students, the website included a disclaimer reading, “This musical contains strong language and mature content.”
According to Family Research Council’s Meg Kilgannon, the musical is sponsored by parent-run West Potomac Theatre Boosters.
“What continues to shock me is the adult involvement in pushing this kind of sexualized entertainment on children, literally teaching children how to perform in an overtly sexual manner,” Kilgannon commented. “The parents of the theater kids, some of the most engaged and most financially able parents in the school, are running a Booster Club to support the Theater program at West Potomac High School.”
“They are not protecting children,” she continued. “They are facilitating this sexualized program and plan to use the profit from it for the ‘benefit’ of the theater program itself. This is why it we call these topics culture war issues. We can see a clash of forces here, and which side you regard as ‘good’ and which side you regard as ‘evil’ depends on your worldview.”
The email also highlighted two other upcoming events at West Potomac High School, including a 30-minute discussion with FCPS Pride to “explore significance of producing LGBTQ+ plays/musicals, delve into drag history, and explore ways to support the LGBTQ+ community” on April 27, following the 1:00 p.m. showing of Kinky Boots.
“In Fairfax County, this high school is notorious for being aggressive promoters of the LGBTQ agenda,” Kilgannon noted. “For those of us who have been working in this space and live in the county, this show happening at this high school is not a shock. It is sad but not surprising.”
The final event highlighted by Beyond the Page Theatre Company is a drag queen brunch on May 4, featuring “witty entertainment from some of DC’s most fabulous performers,” including 22-year Air Force veteran Jay Claypool whose drag name is Dixie Crystal. Claypool will be joined by two other performers: Los Angeles native drag queen Pirouette and male burlesque performer Orpheus Rose.
“People who want children to be comfortable with drag queens are promoting a religion of license,” FRC’s Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement Joseph Backholm said in response to the drag queen brunch. “The fact that this is targeted at children is even more problematic because it breaks down the inhibitions and instincts that protect children from those who would abuse them. They learn that feeling uncomfortable means there is something wrong with them.”
This is the not the first time Fairfax County has hosted a drag queen event for children. In June of 2021, Fairfax County Public Library and The McLean Community Center hosted a Drag Story Book Hour for babies and toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children.
“Christians should respond to events like these as the Holy Spirit leads and the circumstances of their situation make prudent,” Backholm concluded. “We can’t spend our entire lives protesting every bad thing that happens, but as we have opportunity, we should prevent harmful things from taking place and in no circumstance should we rejoice in iniquity.”
SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON STAND
