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A Christian church in Texas hosted a drag event last weekend that was open to families, prompting protests from locals urging the attendees to "DEFEND PURITY, REJECT PERVERSION."
The First United Methodist Church in Sherman, Texas became the venue for the May 13 LGBTQ event, after it was moved from its original location at nearby Pecan Grove Park.
The event, called "Pride Prom," was billed by organizers as a "family-friendly drag show." A poster for the event, which had the original venue on it, read, "Pride Prom. Be True To You. Saturday, May 13th, 8-11 PM."
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Host drag queen Athena Dion performs for guests during a Drag Brunch at R House Wynwood in Miami, Florida, on April 9, 2022. (Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The poster noted the event would have "open mic karaoke," the "family-friendly drag show" and that it would be hosted by Alex Gemini. The event was organized by Grayson County Pride, an organization representing the local LGBTQ community.
Reports noted that the venue changed last minute and was held at the "Mosaic Campus" of First United Methodist.
On its website, the church noted that it prides itself on inclusivity, stating, "We are young and old, married and single, gay and straight, liberal and conservative, non-conformists and traditionalists, those recovering from addictions, those still battling addictions, and those whose challenges take other forms."
The event attracted the attention of protestors, who corroborated the existence of the event and the presence of drag queens and "furries" at the church.
Prior to it, conservative advocacy group "Protect Texas Kids" organized a protest of the show on social media. In a Twitter post, the group said, "Reminder: This Saturday, we'll be protesting a ‘kid-friendly’ drag show in Sherman. We'll have extra posters and water bottles, so bring a friend and join us!"
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Drag queen "Pickle" reads from a book during the Drag Queen Story Hour program at the West Valley Regional Branch Library on July 26, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)
The virtual flyer added, "Drag shows are NEVER for kids." An updated one noted the location change, stating, tonight's ‘kid-friendly’ drag show was secretly changed to 118 W Pecan St in Sherman - which is the First United Methodist Church. We'll be there to protest."
The flyer also asked, "Why are so many ‘churches’ hosting these disgusting show[s]?"
On the night of the event, Protect Texas Kids took photos of the venue and recorded video of the guests going in. Videos posted to the group’s Twitter timeline showed kids going into the Methodist church, as well as drag queens, and an adult dressed as a "furry."
Images also showed counter protestors showing up to the event, including what the Christian Post described as a "’gay’ Spiderman holding a rainbow flag." Another counter-protestor could be seen hold a rainbow flag with the Gadsden flag motto, "Don’t tread on me."
In addition to Protect Texas Kids, protestors from Catholic advocacy group "The New Columbia Movement" showed up to the venue, marching near it with a flag that stated, "DEFEND PURITY, REJECT PERVERSION" while praying the rosary.
According to eyewitnesses, Sherman police were seen outside the event escorting the drag performers and the furry around the church. A spokesperson for police department confirmed to The Christian Post it had hired two off-duty officers to provide security.
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Fox News Digital reached out to First United Methodist for comment on the event, though it has yet to respond.
"Drag Queen Storytime" events have grown in popularity in recent years, as seen here in Manchester, England in 2021. ( Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)
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