Drag bingo at child advocacy center canceled amid backlash

The Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester in New York canceled a drag bingo fundraiser following community backlash, with some critics arguing that such an event contradicts the organization’s mission of supporting abused, traumatized children. 

The fundraiser, intended to raise money on the center’s behalf, was scheduled for Aug. 17. Ed Popil, a celebrity drag queen who goes by the name Mrs. Kasha Davis Popil, would have been one of the performers at the event. 

In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, a spokesperson for the center shared the organization’s Thursday statement announcing the cancellation.

The center said it was involved in “challenging and emotional conversations” and acknowledged the feelings of anger and disappointment from its surrounding community, particularly its “LGBTQ+ partners, allies, and supporters.” 

“Our mission has always been rooted in creating safety, healing, and support for all children and families, including LGBTQ+ youth and communities,” the statement reads. 

“The decision to cancel the event was not made lightly. It was based on a number of complex factors and concerns, including the potential for the conversation around the event to overshadow our core focus: the children and families we serve,” the center added. 

“We serve them with compassion, dignity, and respect. We deeply value the support of individuals and groups who share our commitment to building a safer, more inclusive community.” 

The organization said it seeks to unite people through its events rather than divide, adding that the recent controversy appears to have caused people to question the organization’s commitment to “inclusivity.”

The advocacy center emphasized that it will continue to promote a culture that welcomes everyone, specifically highlighting those who identify as LGBT.

“We are listening. We are learning. And we are actively engaging with community partners to understand how we can better live out our values,” the center stated. “We remain committed to being a place where all children and families — regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or background — feel seen, safe, and supported.”

Drag Me to the Stage, an entertainment company featuring drag performers, reacted to the news in a Thursday statement, claiming that the cancellation was the result of complaints from a “small, but vocal group in the community.” 

“While we respect the organization’s decision, we stand firm in our belief that drag is not a crime and should never be a source of shame,” the drag show entertainment company stated. “We will continue to advocate for love, acceptance, and safe spaces for all.” 

Mary Whittier, the interim CEO of the Child Advocacy Center, told Popil of the event’s cancellation via a telephone call, reports WHEC, saying it was due to backlash and what Popil described as a “ridiculous” misunderstanding.

Drag Me to the Stage did not immediately respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment. 

On its website, the Child Advocacy Center promotes its efforts to protect children from abuse through healing and supportive services. The center’s website highlights its “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging” strategy, which includes ensuring its staff receive at least eight hours of DEI training every two years. 

Several of the comments left on the Facebook post explaining the reason for the drag bingo fundraiser’s cancellation expressed satisfaction with the cancellation, with one commenter questioning how LGBT advocacy is relevant to a nonprofit that says its mission involves serving traumatized children. 

“Why is this even a thing?” the commentator wrote in response to the center’s Thursday statement. “Wildly inappropriate…” 

Another critic accused the organization of failing to acknowledge the “core issue,” condemning the center’s decision to invite children to what he described as “an adult-themed drag fundraiser under the banner of child protection.” 

“Let’s be absolutely clear: This was never about ‘inclusivity.’ It was about boundaries — boundaries that matter when you’re working with vulnerable, traumatized children,” the second commentator wrote in response to the organization’s Thursday statement. 

“Your decision to host, defend, and then vaguely walk back this event signals a stunning betrayal of your mission and the families who trust you,” he added. 

Drag-themed events that took place in recent years where children were present or were advertised as “family-friendly” have repeatedly faced criticism from parents and even lawmakers concerned about the content. 

The content of “A Drag Queen Christmas,” advertised as family-friendly, prompted Florida authorities to threaten revocation of licenses for the James L. Knight Center in Miami and the Plaza Live in 2022 if the venues allowed minors to attend the show. 

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) sent letters to the venue operators at the time following an announcement from Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis saying that DBPR had launched an investigation based on “multiple complaints about a sexually explicit performance marketed to children held in Fort Lauderdale.”

During the drag-themed Christmas show’s tour throughout the United States, the DBPR became aware of lewd activity conducted at these performances in front of minors.

One part of the show involved a man wearing prosthetic breasts accepting tips from the audience. At one point, he asked a child in the audience, “Are you reaching for my [breasts]? Are you hungry?”

In a separate sketch, “Screwdolph the Red-Nippled Reindeer” told children’s stories about Santa while male actors danced suggestively as sexual videos played in the background.

The Texas Family Project shared footage in December 2022 of another drag show that was advertised as an event for all ages. The video shows a young girl in the audience as a man on stage dances suggestively and sings, “Under the mistletoe/ Yes, everybody knows/ We will take off our clothes.”