Drag shows are not for children

Dear Editor:

“No troubles at drag story time,” (Herald, Page 1, Jan. 30).

The article said the group that met with Paul Crawford, Penticton Art Gallery curator, was fearful, angry, transphobic and linked drag story time to pedophilia.

I was part of that group of 11 that met with Paul. We were not fearful, angry or transphobic -- we had a 90-minute civil discussion with him in which we did not express fear, but rather great concern for young children being presented with a drag performer, a man dressed as a woman with womanly additions to his body, make-up, nails done, wig and jewelry. Drag presentations are for discerning adults, not children. Period.

No one was angry, we or Paul, no voices were raised, it was conversational, emphatic at times but conversational. We are not transphobic. Our point then and still is that drag is for adults, not children, period.

We saw the video of the presentation and the content was age appropriate, what is not appropriate is the drag presenter.

Freida Whales is the drag name for Tyson Cook. Tyson is employed by the Central Okanagan School District and works as an educational assistant and while doing this work in the schools he is a man. Why then, could he not read as Tyson Cook, a man, why does he read as a man posing as a female and reading to young children, what is the motivation for that?

Do we think he is a pedophile? We have no reason to believe so. Do we think there is a link between pedophilia and drag? Yes. Do we think drag presenters can cause confusion for young minds? Yes.

Internet search “drag and pedophilia” and draw your own conclusions. Do we think society is going down a wrong road when drag is accepted as children’s entertainment? Absolutely.

Julia Valenti Penticton