Protesters descended on the Red Goose Saloon in Fort Worth on Sunday to protest the bar’s Disney-themed drag brunch that was open to minors.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the venue has been hosting weekly drag shows on Sunday afternoons that allow minors to attend.
“We recommend that our audience be over the age of 16, just for the language, musical content, and suggestive humor. However, we pride ourselves on being an all-inclusive brunch. If you want to bring your children, please do so at your own discretion,” show organizers advise.
Previous iterations of the show included sexually provocative dancing and performers dressed in lingerie, with attendees doling out cash tips.
Kelly Neidert, president of Texas Coalition for Kids, organized Sunday’s protest against the Disney-themed drag show because the event was open to minors.
“All drag shows should have an 18-plus age restriction. The organizers of this show were clearly targeting children by making it Disney-themed. We’ll continue protesting this venue until they stop allowing kids to attend,” Neidert told DX.
In addition to the issue of whether drag is appropriate for kids, some critics of the practice have slammed drag for allegedly being misogynistic.
“I’m concerned about how this impacts children’s view of biology and reality, but also these men — and in this case a woman — who dress up in these outlandish costumes that present to children this very pornographied view of women where it is these insanely large prosthetic breasts and clownlike makeup with huge hair,” said Republican activist Michelle Evans of Williamson County, in an interview with DX earlier this year.
“How insidious can this be? If we normalize this for children, we are normalizing that misogynistic view of women,” she added.
Local drag performer Emeka Bless previously countered such characterizations when speaking with DX.
“It’s not all about what you see in the media. We’re not after your kids or anything like that,” the drag performer said. “We’re just here to support everybody. … It’s liberating. It’s freedom of expression. … We like to put on makeup, wigs, and we just like to entertain a crowd.”
Participating in Sunday’s protest was State Board of Education candidate Brandon Hall.
“Drag queens are completely inappropriate for any audience, especially children. When drag queens seek an audience with children, it’s time for Christians and patriots to rise up and speak out,” Hall told DX. “That’s what we are here for today.”
The protesters held signs that said, “GROOMERS,” “NO SUCH THING AS A ‘KID-FRIENDLY’ PRIDE EVENT,” and “DRAG QUEENS ARE NOT FOR KIDS!!”
Members of the New Columbia Movement were also present. They held up a banner that said, “We Want God.”
The sold-out event drew a sizeable crowd of people, with some wearing Disney-themed hats or clothing. However, DX did not see anyone who was obviously a child enter the venue.
DX reached out to the Red Goose Saloon about the event but did not get a response.
Previous requests for comment asking venue owner Chris Hutchinson if he was a misogynist have gone unanswered.