Members of the activist group Protect Texas Kids, led by president Kelly Neidert, took to the streets in front of Six Flags Over Texas this weekend to protest the park’s alleged hosting of drag shows with children in attendance.
Neidert and other demonstrators could be seen in front of the park on Saturday holding signs as multiple people in vehicles drove by yelling obscenities at them.
Six Flags Over Texas is celebrating LGBTQ Pride month by hosting drag shows at its park in the evenings.
“A new live show opens on Friday, June 2 at 7 p.m. at The Southern Palace featuring local Drag Queens,” reads a flyer announcing the events. “On 8 nights in June a Drag Show will sparkle with excitement as the fun takes center stage!”
“The 45-minute live show will make you laugh and clap as our PRIDE entertainers offer a first-of-its-kind show at Six Flags Over Texas,” it continues. “Local Drag Queen legend Salem Moon will emcee our Drag Show. Adult beverages will be available for purchase near the show.”
The flyer adds that attendees “Must be 18+, with ID. Event is $5 for a ticket.”
Despite this purported age limit, a picture taken by an alleged Six Flags employee circulating on social media shows that minors may have been present at a June 10 drag show hosted at the park.
At another Six Flags Over Texas drag show, a video posted to social media apparently shows a drag performer performing while children are present.
“You know, last weekend, there were still children inside of the event,” said Neidert speaking to The Dallas Express. “That being said, last night there were people here that said they were I.d.ing adults going in, and children were not allowed in. I definitely think that the way to get companies to stop doing this is, stop giving them your money, come out and peacefully protest. Don’t just go home. You have to do something about it.”
“After the first weekend in June when the shows began, they were not 18 plus, they were not advertising as 18 plus, they only supposedly added that restriction because they faced backlash,” alleged Neidert.
“I think that really shows that the backlash, and coming out peacefully protesting, and sharing all of this on social media just raising awareness on what’s going on, that definitely slows this stuff down,” she suggested.
Neidert argues that drag is sexual in nature and thus will always be inappropriate for minors.
“Looking at what drag shows are, there’s just no way that they could ever be kid-friendly,” she suggested.
Similar concerns led the Texas Legislature to pass Senate Bill 12 in the recently ended regular session, which will prohibit “sexually oriented performance[s]” in the presence of minors.
The bill was opposed by critics who disagreed with the understanding of drag expounded by Neidert.
Testifying against the bill, a female impersonator going by the name ‘Alexander the Great’ argued that drag for children is a normal part of culture.
“Drag is love. Drag is art. Drag is powerful,” he said, per the Texas Tribune. “Drag has been a part of our culture since Shakespearean times and will continue to be. … Bugs Bunny has been in drag in children’s cartoons. I remember watching ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ growing up, Robin Williams in drag — that was a family-friendly movie. Drag itself is just art.”
Recent controversy over such performances has not been limited to the issue of children in attendance.
In March, a scheduled drag show at West Texas A&M University was canceled by President Walter Wendler due to concerns that the practice presents a degrading caricature of women.
“Drag shows stereotype women in cartoon-like extremes for the amusement of others and discriminate against womanhood,” wrote Wendler in an email to teachers, students, and staff, as reported by NBC News. “Drag shows are derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent.”
The Dallas Express reached out to Six Flags Over Texas for comment or clarification as to whether the advertised 18+ age limit is being enforced at the park’s drag shows. No response was received by the time of publication.
