avatarEsther Spurrill-Jones

Summary

The author reflects on the history of drag performances within church settings, contrasting these lighthearted past experiences with the current political efforts to ban such performances, particularly highlighting the hypocrisy and fear-mongering among some conservative Christians regarding LGBTQ+ identities.

Abstract

The author recounts personal experiences with drag performances in church settings, beginning with their introduction to drag through a Christian rock band's playful act and similar occurrences in their husband's church. These instances were perceived as innocent fun, devoid of any sexual connotations. The narrative shifts to recent political actions, such as a Texas legislator's proposal to ban minors from attending drag shows, equating such performances with sexual abuse and pedophilia. The author criticizes this stance, noting the irony as these performances were once common and accepted in church environments. The article underscores the changing attitudes towards drag within conservative Christian circles, suggesting a growing divide between liberal and conservative churches, and questions whether they still worship the same God. The author concludes by pointing out the sinful nature of falsely accusing LGBTQ+ individuals of grooming and highlights some churches' acceptance of queer drag performances.

Opinions

  • The author views the historical acceptance of drag in church as benign and fun, contrasting sharply with the current moral panic and legislative efforts to restrict drag shows.
  • There is a perceived hypocrisy in conservative Christians who previously enjoyed drag in church now demonizing the practice when it involves openly queer performers.
  • The author equates the conservative Christian outcry against drag with bearing false witness, a violation of one of the Ten Commandments.
  • The article suggests that the recent fear of drag is rooted in a false equivalence between LGBTQ+ identities and sexual abuse or pedophilia.
  • The author appreciates churches that embrace queer drag performances, seeing this as a positive development and a form of resistance against harmful narratives.
  • The author implies that the conservative and liberal wings of the church are diverging significantly, to the point of questioning their shared faith.

My First Drag Show Was in Church

In fact, every drag show I’ve ever attended was in church

Photo by: jhderojas, Title: “Gala Drag Queen Valladolid”, Platform: Flickr

When I was thirteen, I began attending an Evangelical Free youth group. The youth pastor, his son, and two of the older boys in the group had a Christian rock band called Axiom. They were pretty good. One time, at an Axiom concert, they showed up in flowered dresses and long grey wigs and introduced themselves as The Rockin’ Grannies.

That was my first drag show.

When my husband was a teenage PK (preacher’s kid), he was a “flower girl” in a wedding skit his evangelical church staged on a Sunday morning. His teenage sister was the “groom” and her boyfriend was the “bride.”

* This is yet another example of conservative Christians falsely equating LGBTQ+ identities with sexual abuse and pedophilia. *

The first time I heard of Tyler Perry was when my Pentecostal church played a Medea film for a movie night at the church. For those who don’t know, Madea is Perry’s drag persona.

No one at any of these occasions ever thought there was anything sexual or perverse about men dressed as women or women dressed as men. It never crossed anyone’s mind. Except for Madea Goes to Jail, one of Perry’s more serious offerings, they were silly fun times. Of course, no one involved in any of these things would have called them “drag”, but that is technically what they were.

How things have changed! State Rep. Bryan Slaton, a Republican Texas legislator, is trying to ban drag shows in the state, claiming children must be protected from “perverted adults”. Another Republican, Marjorie Taylor Greene, even likened drag shows to strip clubs, tweeting “It should be illegal to take children into Drag Queen shows and strip clubs.”

Lauren Boebert’s tweet, “Take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars”, is funny when you look back at my experiences seeing drag in church.

Allie Beth Stuckey went even farther, tweeting, “The parents, performers, bar owners — everyone should be charged with sexual abuse of children.”

Weird, I didn’t feel abused or “groomed” in any way by the Rockin’ Grannies.

I find it fascinating that drag is suddenly so terrifying and dangerous to these conservative Christians when it never was before. The elephant in the room seems to be that when it is openly queer people performing then it is a problem. This is yet another example of conservative Christians falsely equating LGBTQ+ identities with sexual abuse and pedophilia.

Not only is this stupid, it’s a sin. It is literally bearing false witness against your neighbour.

On the bright side, some churches are doing drag shows that are explicitly queer:

It really feels like the divide between the conservative and liberal church is growing deeper and more insurmountable by the day. Do we even worship the same God anymore?

Esther learned to read when she was four years old, and began writing shortly thereafter. She is a queer Christian poet, crafting with words to create art and music.

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee!

LGBTQ
Drag
Church
Christianity
Queer
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