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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Madison East High School will host a drag show on Thursday night.
The event is in their high school auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults.
Candidate for Governor Tom Tiffany is calling for the event to be cancelled. He is right.
Of course, the super-liberal Madison School District has policies that are supportive and affirming to their LGBTQ students. But this isn’t that. Aside from men dressing as women (or vice versa), drag shows tend to be sexualized. Performers pick outfits that are designed to titillate. Their performances or dance routines are intended to be seductive.
No, this is not about supporting the school district’s LGBTQ population. This is the equivalent of inviting an NBA dance team to perform at a high school pep rally. Even though everyone’s clothes are certain to stay on, the context of a sexualized performance is wrong for a school district to host.
There are two other super-disturbing things about this event. It’s not just about some students pushing boundaries. First, tickets are on-sale to the general public. To invite adults to come and leer at underage students is disgusting. And some of the performers are adults. If you have concerns about drag-queen story hour in the school library, this is certain to me more over-the-top than that.
So, tell me, who in the Madison School District approved this? In whose judgment is this an appropriate way to support students who are questioning their sexual identity?
Again, a candidate for governor has put a spotlight on this event. I’m sure the phones will be ringing at Madison East. Maybe the heat will be turned up enough that this completely inappropriate event will be cancelled.
Chris Conley
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