Children being read stories by Drag Queens on World Book Day

[AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth]

One of whom refers to himself as "Bristol’s Resident Slag".

WTF now?

www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/parents-anger-over-drag-queens-1254111

AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth

I'm not trying to 'gaslight' you that its right any more than you are trying to 'gaslight' me that its wrong.
It is actually really sad that you claim to be so tolerant of other people but get so angry and offended when someone trys to give and explain an opinion different to yours.
I can happily have a conversation with someone whose veiws are completely opposed to mine with out: Enough. This is a load of shite fuckers fucker what the fuck I'm not having it. and that was from one short post noone has called you rightwing or suggested you are not progressive they are labels you projected onto yourself.

I don't think of drag queens as dressing like women at all. What women do you know looks anything like that?

I view drag as men Performing Extreme/Hyper "Feminiity". It's performance art

The point is that a drag act is inviting us to think that femininity and sex-based stereotypes are negative

Thats if you accept and agree with the idea of sex based stereotypes, not if you think gender stereotypes are rubbish like drag queens, drag acts dont suggest gender sterotypes are negative just that they are not real.

The suggestion is that it is intolerant to object to drag queens being presented as appropriate for school children. If this isn't accepted as a wonderful example of how men can be amazing and non-conforming, whilst also somehow showing that women don't have to perform femininity, then you're behind the times and intolerant/unacceptable of difference. No debate.

I view drag as men Performing Extreme/Hyper "Feminiity". It's performance art

I agree. That was the point I was trying to make.

I think it is utter nonsense to say they are "mocking societies expectations of what being a woman is". I also think it is nonsense to say that they portray femininity as something lesser to be mocked.

I can't however see the justification for this performance art to be in a classroom of children of that age.

Why don;t they dress up and perform as hyper-masculine men then, if it's got nothing to do with women and femininity, and everything to do with generally showing up that gender stereotypes are rubbish?

@upsideup. No. I'm saying that's what the performance is inviting you to accept. I don't accept it and I don't find drag acts to be humorous or entertaining.

There is a reason that men dressed as women is seen as funny, in our culture.

Whether the particular drag queens that some people know and their audiences are deliberately tapping into that or not,

There's a reason that the general public laughs at men dressed as women, whatever their reason for doing it.

"that was from one short post noone has called you rightwing or suggested you are not progressive they are labels you projected onto yourself."

Women are being called those things everyday for objecting to inappropriate material being introduced to classrooms and imposed on our children

I'm sorry if you are 'sad'. I am angry. And I will fight any moves to have inappropriate sexulisation normalised in classrooms. And I'm not apologising for it either

@assigned do you have the same objection to pantomimes? Because if not you don't really have a leg to stand on. There will be nothing sexual about these performances. femininity isn't automatically sexual ffs!

AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth

You are not fighting very hard if you are unwilling to discuss the issue calmly with anyone who has the opposite view to you.
How do you think fucker Im not having it This is a load of shit etc is going to help you change something you claim to be so passionate about?

@DietCokeGirrrrrl presumably you've seen the drag queens performing to children and are happy that their costumes are not sexualised? Just men dressing as female characters, not sexualised caricatures of women?

Some things are for adults. I have tattoos but wouldn't support a school having a tattoo artist in to give a demonstration of that either.

Drag artists are not oppressed. This isn't progressive.

Some things are for adults. I have tattoos but wouldn't support a school having a tattoo artist in to give a demonstration of that either

I agree. I don't think there is anything wrong with tatoos or the very glam drag acts but they are for adults.

Why don;t they dress up and perform as hyper-masculine men then?

Because it wouldnt achive the same thing, that would just be a man conforming to male gender stereotypes, the message would get less attention. It wouldnt show that those things have nothing to do with being male, Drag kings can do that but are less prevelant because men arnt given expectations to the same extent as women are.

Ah upside do you smell the blood here, love?

Actually, I have no interest in changing your mind. Why would I? There is nothing that you have said that makes me think that you have anything reasonable to say

But carry on with your attempts at justifying the grooming of children.

You will not win

Some things are for adults. I have tattoos but wouldn't support a school having a tattoo artist in to give a demonstration of that either

What if the school hired a tattoo artist to come and give a drawing class rather than to actually give someone a tattoo? The drag queens are not going to be giving an adult preformance they are going to be reading books.

I don't like pantomime "dames" at all, again, it feels to me just like a pisstake of women, and always has.

I don't see why "oho do you object to pantomimes as well" is being used as a "gotcha", loads of people think pantos are pretty crap. I didn't go much as a kid, went to one couple of years back with the inlaws and was boggled at the casual sexism, racism, it was really crap as well. Husband used to go a lot as a kid and he says he's never seen the point really and finds it all v cringey.

Funnily enough we went to one this year and it was a non traditional one I suppose you'd say, no men dressed as women (woohoo!) no sexism or racism (double woohoo!) and it was generally great. There were some girls playing boys but that isn't done in the same spirit as window twanky and that, is it. With the massive bosoms and the lechery and the hahaha son't fancy yours much and all the rest of it.

I think maybe for a lot of people if they went a lot as kids it's sort of water off a ducks back as it's familiar and reminds them of happiness and childhood and stuff but coming to it more or less fresh it really is very WTAF.

upsideup

that doesn't make sense

if it's got nothing to do with actual women and femininity, and in fact is just to do with taking apart gender via extreme unrealistic stereotypes

then dressing up and acting as hyper masculine men has the same effect

think kenny everett and some of his characters - the american general for eg

and yet, that's not the way it goes. it's men dressing as women that, as you say, gets "attention". Why?

Because in our society it is seen as funny for a man to dress as a woman. Full stop. It is a joke in itself. Why?

They are grooming children into the 8th rule of misogyny: Men are whatever men say they are and women are whatever men say they are.

Yes, if anything that is what drag queens are mocking, societies pereception of femininity, the expectations of how women should behave, not actual women and what it means to actually be a woman.
None of those things you mentioned a part of being a woman at all and drag shows that, male drag queens can do all that and still be male.

Even if that were the case - I'm not sure the average 7 year old would take away that message. I'm guessing they see a man dressed as a woman in the most flamboyant way and they are being invited to find that funny. I just don't get how a head teacher can have been persuaded that this approach is actually going to achieve the aims the organisation are claiming.

I don't see how reading stories about tolerance in drag can achieve anything more than anyone reading stories about tolerance. Even the potential gnc boys aren't being well served if the first gnc men all the children encounter are those who evoke an atmosphere of pantomime. Isn't that likely to invite more ridicule for the gnc boy if gender non conformity is presented as a caricature of a woman?

upsideup For your analogy to work, some men would go into the school and read stories to the kids.

AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth

Actually, I have no interest in changing your mind. Why would I?
You will not win

I think the fact that drag queens are being invited into school across the country is suggesting that I am already 'winning'
The fact that you are so against this should be why you want to change my mind, Or are you planning on just get angry online rather than actually doing something to stop the children apparently being groomed by drag queens?

Just for you Up

@assassinatedbeauty yes, like I said upthread ive been to one of these at my local library and it wasn't remotely sexual in any way.

You've honestly all lost your minds if you think a school would sanction a sexualised performance to kids. You must see how mad you sound.