A Pride Month drag show for kids at a gay bar in Dallas prompted a street protest outside the bar this weekend. It was followed by right-wing outrage on social media.
The event took place at Mr. Misster in Cedar Springs on Saturday. A small group of right-wing extremists gathered outside to protest the “Drag Your Kids To Pride” event.
The Dallas Voice reports the self-described “Christian Fascists”, carrying signs saying, “confuse a child, abuse a child,” “stop groomers” and “Stop exploiting our kids.”
An ugly protest today. A mob of self described “Christian Fascists” tried to force their way into a gay establishment in the gayborhood of Dallas holding a family event while chanting “Groomers” pic.twitter.com/2F9NE4rs0P
— Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club (@EFJBGC) June 4, 2022
The event was billed as a drag queen brunch open to all. Drag queens walked down the aisle in the center of the room, and some took dollars being held out by kids. The children also played musical chairs and some walked down the aisle themselves with their favorite drag performers.
Related: Pastor wants kids taken to Drag Queen Story Hour removed from their parents
The Dallas Voice says the protestors first gathered in front of the bar on the corner of Cedar Springs Road and Reagan Street before Dallas police officers forced them to move across Reagan to another sidewalk.
Pretty soon, videos from the event began to be shared on social media by some outraged right-wing commentators.
The drag event for children at a gay bar in Dallas, Texas was called “Drag the Kids to Pride.” It was held at the Mr. Misster gay bar & club. Children & transvestites danced in front of an electronic sign that read, “It’s not gonna lick itself.” pic.twitter.com/tcgiqhqCbH
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) June 4, 2022
Increasingly, many on the far-right are targeting drag queen events for kids. Pride Month, which has seen many such events scheduled, has seen those attacks increase.
Last week we reported on the influential @LibsOfTikTOk twitter account alerting many of its followers to events around the country and gleefully sharing the news when the subsequent media coverage forced one such event to be canceled.
Related: Matt Gaetz marks Pride Month by coming out against Drag Queen Story Hour
Here’s some more footage of the harassment parents and kids faced while queuing to attend the event in Dallas on Saturday.
John Doyle confronts parents outside of the Children’s Drag Show in Dallas, TX. pic.twitter.com/3UF3tz7Rq5
— Tayler Hansen 🇺🇸 (@TaylerUSA) June 4, 2022
On social media, Mr. Misster said in advance, “Drag The Kids To Pride Drag Show provides the ultimate family-friendly pride experience. This signature event is a family-friendly spin-off of our famed Champagne Drag Brunch.”
One of the drag queens involved, Arielle Diamond, took to Twitter in response to the backlash.
“The children of today are our future & they will continue to break down these stereotypical, heteronormativity barriers that uneducated swines like you normalize. Drag queens and the gay culture is as mainstream as it has ever been. And we’re just going to keep pushing forward.”
The children of today are our future & they will continue to break down these stereotypical, heteronormativity barriers that uneducated swines like you normalize. Drag queens and the gay culture is as main stream as it has ever been. And we’re just going to keep pushing forward. https://t.co/qe18BNnuBN
— Arielle Diamond (@arielleddoll) June 6, 2022
According to WFAA ABC 8, Mr. Misster also received several hundred threatening emails, negative Google reviews and aggressive threating phone calls ahead of the event.
Afterward, in a statement to Queerty, owner Trey Stewart said, “We host our Champagne Drag Brunch every Saturday at 2pm for guests that are 21+ but we have partnered with some of our major community partners to host a special Pride Drag Brunch for all guests, including guests that couldn’t normally attend our regular show because of the drinking age restriction, to raise money for a local LGBTQ+ youth organization.
“We are more than happy to open our doors to celebrate Pride in a family friendly, safe environment, separate from our normal operations of 2 pm–2 am on Saturdays because we believe that everyone should have a space to be able to celebrate who they are.
“We had a group of protestors outside yelling homophobic threats, transphobic remarks and vile accusations at these children and parents. It is so sad to see that in 2022, there are people that still want to protests others celebrating who they are, but our staff and wonderful officers helped keep us safe and kept the protestors at bay.
“Contrary to what some people are reporting, our event was not shut down, the police escorted families safely to their cars after the event was over because protestors were yelling at kids and throwing various things.
“We are sad to see that an event that was suppose to be a moment of pride for these LGBTQ+ families and their children is being interpreted as anything other than what it was: a family-friendly event.”
Related: Meet the father and son launching a new gay bar in Denver
MrGoldman
These guy are scum, but I do think it is an odd event. Inside the club there is a huge neon signs that says, “it’s not going to lick itself”. This little event will just be red meat for the right and will be exploited endlessly as evidence of child grooming. Nice work idiots.
cc423
Cowards like you always capitulate to the bullies. YOU are the reason gay kids hate themselves.
monty clift
There were right wing predators in that crowd, one of them was chasing the children and harassing the parents but yeah a sign is the real problem here.
Lady of Mystery
I’m the gayest person ever and I support trans rights as well as the right for cisgender men to enjoy dressing up in drag if they want to. Yet, I find myself agreeing that maybe this was too much for kids that young. when I think of kid-friendly drag shows, I think of men dressed up like drag versions of Disney princesses who are reading stories to kids at libraries and schools.
I think it’s really wholesome when drag queens dress up like Disney princesses and do things like that.
Strip clubs with neon signs that talk about sexual things on the other hand? not so wholesome.
monty clift
@Lady of Mystery, How is it even sexual? Kids are allowed to go to hooters bars and wrestling shows which are more sexually explicit than anything these kids drag shows have presented yet no one is complaining about that. The outrage mob is only attacking LGBT.
Lady of Mystery
@Monty — it’s not the event itself, it’s WHERE it’s taking place. Strip clubs tend to be for adults only, and the signs on the walls there talk about sex acts, or rather the suggestion of one. It’s like taking your kid to a building that’s well-known for being a brothel, even if all the sex workers have the day off then.
The event itself isn’t so bad from what I’ve seen, it’s just the location I have a problem with. so my nitpick in a nutshell–would’ve been better if it took place somewhere else.
monty clift
I see Andy Ngo, the sad little Asian bottom queen is still desperate to be a white supremacist.
LeBlevsez
No one kidnapped the children of the bigots and forced them to attend. So, MrGoldman, is your suggestion that parents who attended with their own children should be chastised? Arrested for chlld abuse? Have their children removed from their homes by the state?
Why do you cower thusly?
MrGoldman
Blev, I am not cowering and you sez things that you just fabricated as your own fantasy narrative. My point is, unless you are living under a rock, the GOP is doing their best to create this “groomer” narrative, that kids are being influenced to be trans, gay, hate Jesus, etc. This event, in a bar, with a neon sign that says, “it’s not going to lick itself”, is the perfect event to bolster that narrative. This will be circulated to the Fox News, NewsMax, OAN, crowd who will also share as “evidence” of child grooming. It will be powerful in reinforcing this lie and will also be believed by idiots who spend all day obsessed with the Kardashians. I mean, they could not have done a better job at fabricating this if they hired their own actors. Unlike many similar to you, who don’t vote outside of presidential elections, think Hillary didn’t “earn” your vote, because a candidate doesn’t stand for student loan forgiven, you aren’t getting a guaranteed free income, etc., etc., … these people WILL vote in every primary election, city council, school board election.
LeBlevsez
MrGoldman –
When you allow the opposition to frame an argument, which you did, then you have to assume a defensive posture, and it looks a lot like ‘cowering’. It means you’re already losing ground. It’s a bad move here specifically because the right-wing propaganda outlets that you listed aren’t “doing their best to create this ‘groomer’ narrative”. It’s a finished product, carefully polished, elaborately wrapped, and brightly lit.
Fight the ‘groomer’ lie. Or you can continue to waste your energy criticizing parents who did nothing wrong.
MrGoldman
How did I allow the opposition to frame an argument? They create the frame, and clueless people provide the content. It doesn’t matter if it is true, because the context will be gone when shared through media. My point is that when there is a current frenzy of “groomer” propaganda, you don’t create an event that appears to only bolster that propaganda.
I think there should be Pride events that are kid friendly. However, I don’t think kids, in what would usually be an adult bar activity, is the right message to kids about Pride. Again, a bar with a huge neon sign that says “It isn’t going to lick itself”! Do you think that sign is supposed to mean ice cream cones?
LeBlevsez
“It doesn’t matter if it is true…” “…appears to…” Them’s cowerin’ words, and when you step into the frame provided by the bigots, you empower them far more than does the event you are criticizing.
Talk about ‘clueless’.
RoyM
It’s Texas, why would anyone be surprised. I lived in Dallas for many years and can say from experience that the vast majority of Texans are hate driven, hypocritical, homophobic, racist, right-wing Bible thumping bigots. It’s was one of the best days of my life when I could leave that awful state.
CatholicXXX
And not a single hottie among them.
abfab
”DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS” WTF does that stupid bumper sticker even mean? They don’t need anyone else to mess with them…..they do that just fine themselves. Wretched group of cretins.
Eternal.Cowboy
It’s an anti-littering campaign. Trash is the mess in “Don’t mess with Texas”. The campaign is credited with reducing roadside litter by over 70%. So, it was remarkably effective.
Mack
MrGoldman is just another name for the rightwing bigoted troll that comes in here. I guess he got tired of everyone calling him on it that picked another name.
inbama
Do you just say nonsense like that to make yourself feel good? There’s not a “bigoted” word in his post.
He just thinks gays and lesbians should choose their battles carefully and win them.
That’s how grown-ups think.
ZzBomb
@inbama
It’s clear the right wingers protesting the drag show don’t think like adults either. B/c if there was a ever a stupid battle to be picked, it would be this.
cc423
@inbama
Mr Goldman said :” This little event will just be red meat for the right and will be exploited endlessly as evidence of child grooming. Nice work idiots.”
Why do gay people like the two of you quiver in your closet in fear that you may upset the straight people? It’s pathetic.
inbama
@ZzBomb
I’m not quivering in any closet and I’m not going to be bullied by the likes of you.
But be my guest – put your wig and your skirt on and see how many Texans you’ll get to vote out that homophobic moron Greg Abbott.
MrGoldman
Mack, you are wack.
ZzBomb
Imagine being such a loser that you spend your afternoons harassing parents and children going to literally the most innocuous pride event there is.
Lady of Mystery
I’d agree with you on the completely innocent part had it been drag queens dressed up like various fairy tale characters while they were reading books to kids at a library or something.
But, this took place at a strip club with neon signs that spelled out sexually explicit messages. I love gay pride events, but there had to be a right place and time for the wee kiddies to be at, and this definitely was not the right place for them.
draven
Let them show up at a black gay pride event or a black Vogue ball with that same energy and watch what they get. Miserable straight white people. Oh and I’m white too. I can’t stand people like that. White people are so miserable fake and phony. The don’t care about school mass shooting. They don’t care about Putin destroying the world. They don’t care about nothing but someone who’s gay. Freaking losers
MrGoldman
“White people are so miserable fake and phony.” You are more part of the problem that you will ever understand.
Joshua333
The irony is… the conservative christians are known to groom their kids into their cult– religion.
AKhavos96
Honestly, if it weren’t for that sign I’d say it was ok as a free for all, although you could probably treat it the same way people treat dirty jokes in kid’s cartoons. At a place like that, probably give it a 15 or 16+ age limit. Still think the protesters were a bigger danger to the kids mental/physical health than men doing what they love.
Lady of Mystery
Yup, I was okay with the idea of a kid-friendly drag show, love them myself. but then I saw the neon signs and where it was located…. YIKES. this event would’ve been better had it taken place literally ANYWHERE ELSE.
Eternal.Cowboy
Watching MrGoldman, Lady of Mystery and Inbama argue that we should capitulate to homophones is disturbing. The idea that we should throw in the towel on this because it will help elsewhere is ridiculous. Y’all are cowards and had LGBTQ+ rights been up to you we would still be pre-Stonewall as you would have been afraid of offending your perceived betters.
Don’t worry, the rest of us will continue to move the needle forward while you fret over the comfort of bigots.
MrGoldman
“we should capitulate to homophobes”? Your attempt to create a false narrative is as dumb as the far right. My point is that this drag show for Childress in a bar, with suggestive neon signs, is a bad look. It has nothing to do with homophobia. I’m not sure tucking a dollar into the cleavage of a drag queen, in front of a neon sign that says “It’s not going to lick itself”, is a great activity for a 7 year old child. Furthermore, it will be used as an example to bolster what is a current homophobic movement across the country at the moment. My concern is not about bowing to homophobia. It is about giving these homophobes an real example of an event that will be used to support a false narrative. Such short-sightedness and stupidity is what got Trump elected. The moderates who vote, will feel the left has in fact gone too far and side with these crazy conservatives. So, a drag event for kids will lead to more loss of right for LGBT+ people in America. Are you even paying attention to what the supreme court is doing?!?!?!?!
johncp56
Now whos are the snow flakes, kid love fun clowns colors happy people, shame on those saying we all are groomers we really know who the true groomers are the str8 gun loving religious right