Drag Show at school

[Iliveonahill]

My child’s secondary school, as part of Pride week, has an age appropriate drag show tomorrow afternoon.

Im really not comfortable with this. The drag shows I have seen over the years have mocked women and are really just a “woman face” show. Why is it appropriate in terms of inclusiveness and diversity to mock 51% of the population and in a school?

There are plenty of other role models they could bring in to talk to the boys as part of pride week that do not reinforce gender stereotypes. Perhaps make some suggestions while also pointing out that stereotypes are harmful and mocking women in an all boys school environment is highly inappropriate. Probably more appropriate to have someone like Julie Bindell into speak.

Trust the school for it to be age appropriate celebration of an aspect of gay culture, one which can disrupt the toxic masculinity that damages women far, far more

WHAT? I would love to know how a drag show in a SCHOOL is an "appropriate celebration of gay culture". What a load of utter balls.

more appropriate to have someone like Julie Bindell into speak.

A lesbian during Pride month, don't be silly.

I hate drag and find it fundamentally misogynistic. It mocks women and reduces femaleness to a set of ludicrous stereotypes.

I don't think it has any place in a school.

👏
Spot On

Governors, not teachers. As to speak to the Safeguarding one as to whether the appropriate checks have been made.

No adult should be allowed to be with kids unless checked. Even the Governors have to be DBS checked, when they are never left alone with a child.

I think this is my son's school. I only found about the show because I saw a poster at the school when I was at last night's summer concert although I know we had an email about it being culture day or something, and for the kids to go to school in "something that represents their culture".

If it is that school I think they are trying super hard to be seen to be inclusive at the moment for Ofsted related reasons.

It sounds horrendous OP. I would complain.

So it satirises being a woman... Basic bitch beauty! WTF!

I think this is my sons school too and I'm a bit worried I've sent him in normal dress for today! Need to check my emails for this culture day...

I don’t think it is the same school. This is for pride week and not culture. Clearly it is a popular thing to do now in schools.

What about a pantomime dame - do they offend you aswell??

just checking what else needs to be cancelled.

They are not normally called Flow Job wearing skin tight leggings or holding a plastic penis. I think it’s very niave to think pantos are the same as drag shows.

If they want an opportunity to dress up flamboyantly why can't they have a masquerade ball, with no gendered dress code. Why does it have to be drag and involve mocking women?

Drag seems so old fashioned and twee now. I think it is something that was funny back in the day but we now look back and I think it is and will be seen more increasingly as equivalent to blackface. It is so unsuitable as a representation of gay people and has no place in schools. Can you imagine being a gay boy or girl in the audience and this being trotted out as a representation of being gay in 2022. It’s cringeworthy. Years ago I saw a proper drag show and omg it is adult entertainment and should not be anywhere near children. What I saw was a comedy adult sex show and to show that to kids would have been grooming.

I genuinely don't know what the point of drag is (other than entertainment) so I googled it and found this:

Development of the drag queen in the United States was influenced by the development of the blackface minstrel show.[35] Originally the performers would only mock African American men, but as time went on they found it amusing to mock African American femininity as well. They performed in comedic skits, dances, and "wench" songs.

I don't think anyone should disregard the suggestion that the point of drag is, in fact, to mock women.

Was that their name? I’d struggle with that….!!!

an age appropriate drag queen would need a cleaner name.

i think a drag queen that is age appropriate is fine in a school - as to me that’s the same as a pantomime dame. Whilst it’s maybe not your cup of tea - drag shows are a thing and the point of school is to prepare kids for the wider world.

more over if it was just for sixth form - this is also different. - at GCSE (14-15)I remember a teacher getting very into that characters glove and having to explain to me why he had a glove of Vaseline or whatever it was. also the descriptions of the colour red used to make me feel sick. my innocence was gone forever. not sure how a drag queen is more offensive than that - or less culturally significant - given that performing in drag is historical too.

also the quality of sex ed in schools even nowadays is appalling. I’d be impressed to see a drag queen approach the topic. It might get people talking a bit better than your typical maths teacher getting the dildos out.

YANBU- if they want to celebrate pride why are they getting in men dressed up as a parody of women to presumably dance around?! They have been doing that since atleast Shakespearean times!! It’s not been repressed, it’s been celebrated for centuries, why not get in a LGB focussed drama show or a history lesson of lgb repression?

I was at a big shopping centre a few months ago with DD (who is pretty woke). There was a pop up diversity fashion show which was pretty good but there were a couple of drag queens draping themselves over an escalator while wearing not very much. I don’t think it was very appropriate for a Sunday afternoon whatever the sex of the person doing it. I asked DD if she thought they looked good, she said yes. I asked if they looked better than a woman would dressed exactly the same way, she said probably not. I asked why she thought they had invited these performers amongst the other models Of different sizes, shapes, disabilities and ethnicities and she said “shock value”
Nobody needs to be shocked while shopping or at school

Very pleased to hear this is happening. I'd be fully in support of the school but if you're not, you should let them know. I personally think it's a really excellent idea but no point in moaning on here about it.

or, another possibility, disagrees with you. These are not the only options available.