Drag performer condemns Louisiana legislation that bans gender ideology in schools
A trans drag performer named "Maxwell" and "Big Gay Baby" spoke out against a Louisiana bill that would ban schools discussing gender ideology and sexual orientation to students in K-12 grade.
An Oklahoma Republican lawmaker is calling for the president of the University of Oklahoma to be fired after the school paid $18,000 to host its annual drag show, which the lawmaker says shows a "perverted agenda" is being pushed on campus.
"So for the president to allow this kind of action should be instant grounds for termination," Oklahoma state Rep. J.J. Humphrey said in a call for the removal of Oklahoma University President Joseph Harroz Jr., Fox 25 Oklahoma reported.
"I'm gonna call on other legislators, I'm calling on the governor. Let's fire him today."
Humphrey’s call for Harroz to be fired comes after the University of Oklahoma held its annual Crimson & Queens drag show that the school’s website says "provides a platform for OU students and other local performers to showcase their art and increase visibility for the local LGBTQ+ community."
Yvie Oddly attends RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 premiere and panel discussion on May 10, 2022, in New York City. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for VH1/Paramount +)
An open records request from the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs showed that the drag show’s headliner, Yvie Oddly, was paid $18,000 for the event and that other costs associated with the performance were paid for by student fees and "no state appropriations or student tuition were used to support this event."
"So my question is, why are we spending $18,000 of the OU money, educational money, they could go to scholarships, could go to research, cancer research, these kinds of things that a school should be doing, other research for the betterment of all people, instead OU president decides he wants to fund $18,000 for a person," Humphrey told Fox 25 Oklahoma, adding that "the school seems to have lost their moral compass and they're pushing a woke and perverted agenda."
Students walk on campus at the University of Oklahoma, (Brett Deering/Getty Images)
"I've had people say, ‘Well, this is not state funds,’ well, it is they're using student fees," Humphrey explained. "So if they use those student fees for something like this, those fees could have been used for something else, which we could have saved our money."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Humphrey said that the "school should not be involved" in drag performances.
"If they allow it that’s on them," Humphrey said. "I openly oppose it and feel it is perverse. OU made a Christian group pay for using the facility, paid for security and pay for their own entertainment on the same day. Why are we paying for drag queens? Plus do we want our state college known for being the #1 drag queen performance?"
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the University of Oklahoma said it "embraces our commitment to ensuring diverse voices and beliefs are represented across all OU campuses."
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"We believe diversity and inclusion are key components of making our university a place of excellence, openness, and learning. The university also believes in the right to free expression, preserved in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. These beliefs are critical to who we are and what we aspire to be as a university community."
Yvie Oddly told Fox News Digital in a statement that "it’s ludicrous that any lawmaker would be this deeply concerned with how student groups choose to spend their budgets, especially since the money has to be spent anyways."
Oddly said the controversy is "because I’m a drag queen, because my very existence is just a hot-button issue right now, because there are people who are truly scared of how I dress, who I love, and what bathrooms I use."
"But mostly because politicians see that social fear as an easy way to rile up their constituents and win another term. They’d rather control people they don’t understand instead of focusing on the difficult, life-threatening issues they’ve been unable to fix. In short I know that lawmaker is only acting out because it’s easier to make someone else a villain than it is to do the hero’s work. Maybe try some heels and a nice dress? My constituents seem to love it."
Oklahoma Republican State Rep. Kevin West put forward a bill last month that would make drag performances in public spaces a felony offense as drag shows have become a hot button issue nationwide causing several states to mull legislation regulating the practice specifically in terms of exposure to minors.
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