Free entry for under 8s at late night drag race ‘sexual show’
AN “after hours” drag show featuring stars of Ru Paul’s Drag Race is offering free tickets to children under eight.
The events, starting at 7.30pm on Friday and Saturday night, feature singing, dancing and lip syncing performances by a variety of drag queens from the popular television series.
The shows are part of Ru Paul’s Dragcon 2023, which opened at London’s Excel on Friday with 160 drag queens from around the world on the billing.
Campaigners said the revelations were “shocking” and raised “serious concerns” about the safeguarding and sexualisation of children.
Piers Shepherd, senior researcher at the Family Education Trust, said: “Drag shows are highly sexualised performances for adults only and therefore do not constitute suitable entertainment for school age children.
“It is shocking that children under the age of eight will be given free tickets to this performance. This raises serious concerns about safeguarding and the sexualisation of children.”
The convention’s website offers specific advice to guests bringing small children – telling them to “set a meeting point in case you get lost” – and claims “Dragcon is an all-ages, family friendly event” where “all are welcome”.
Under-eights get free entry to the evening shows if they are accompanied by an adult who buys tickets for both the evening and the day events.
Day tickets range in price from £60 for one day’s standard admission to £300 for VIP entry. Ru Paul’s Dragcon 2023 was approached for comment.