Parents outraged by ‘mandatory’ school assembly that included student drag performance

ELK GROVE, Calif. (KOVR) – A student performance at a California school assembly has stirred debate.

Students from Pleasant Grove High School’s LGBTQ group danced to a routine in drag on Friday.

The assembly – meant to showcase different cultures and backgrounds – was mandatory for students. But some parents said their children were uncomfortable and should have been allowed to leave.

Those parents also said school leaders did not make it known ahead of time that students would be performing in drag at the assembly.

“They were not transparent, and it [the assembly] was mandatory,” mom Heidi, who did not provide her last name, said.

Video from the assembly shows clips of the four-minute-long performance, showing students dancing in drag.

Amy, another mom who did not provide her last name, said the performance made her son uncomfortable.

“My son said to me, he said, ‘Mom, I’m just going to put my head down.’ I texted him back and said you can leave if you are not comfortable, and he said that they were not allowed to,” she said.

School district leaders said in a statement that “all performances at the multicultural assembly were approved by school staff and administration.”

Amy said she feels it is her right as a parent to decide when her son is exposed to certain things.

However, not everyone thinks the performance was inappropriate. Beverly Kearney with Sacramento’s Love is Love movement said she sees nothing wrong with it.

“While one parent may take offense to it, what about that parent whose kid for the first time got the chance to be who they are?” Kearney said.

Kearney argues every child deserves to see themselves represented.

“It sends a message to kids that who they are is valid, it’s important, it matters. That there is nothing wrong with them,” she said.

At the center of the debate is whether performing in drag sexualized the students who chose to perform.

“When you are sexualizing kids under the umbrella of inclusivity, that is where it draws a line,” Heidi said.

But others say there’s nothing sexual about it.

“I’ve seen far more sexualized performances by high school dance teams, and they are wearing far less clothing than the drag performers were,” Kearney said.

In a statement, the Elk Grove Unified School District said the show was “held in full compliance with student codes of conduct and existing requirements for on-campus events.”

The district went on to say, “The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and families. The school district and individual schools are responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student and that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student.”