Texas university president cancels drag show, comparing art form to blackface

The president of a public college in Texas canceled a pupil-run drag display on Monday, arguing that the artwork shape is offensive to ladies and evaluating it to blackface. “Drag indicates stereotype ladies in cartoon-like extremes for the leisure of others and discriminate in opposition to womanhood,” West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler stated in an e mail to college students, school and staff. “Drag indicates are derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, now no longer remember the said intent.”

In the e mail, which become acquired through NBC News, Wendler additionally states that he similarly “might now no longer support `blackface` performances on our campus, even though advised the overall performance is a shape of unfastened speech or supposed as humor. It is wrong.” A consultant for the college declined to comment, citing “pending litigation.”

The occasion, which become scheduled for later this month, become supposed to elevate cash for The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ young people disaster intervention and suicide prevention organization. In his letter, Wendler advised college students to “pass the display” however to nevertheless donate to the nonprofit group.

In reaction to the letter, dozens of college students held a protest at the college`s campus Tuesday. Some protesters have been flanked with rainbow-coloured posters that stated “Don’t drag us down” and “Women who love drag.”

West Texas A&M University “is actual large on assisting the LGBTQ community,” pupil Jasrianna Gonzalez advised NBC associate KAMR of Amarillo. “So, I sense like with President Wendler taking down the display, it form of harm a few college students and contradicts what [the university] is doing,” they stated.

A pupil-led Change.org petition criticizing Wendler’s letter and calling for him to reinstate the drag display had garnered over 6,500 signatures as of Wednesday morning.

“Not most effective is that this a gross and abhorrent evaluation of absolutely special topics, however it’s also an exceedingly distorted and wrong definition of drag as a subculture and shape of overall performance artwork,” the petition stated, relating to Wendler’s “blackface” analogy. Not all college students have been against the display’s cancellation.

Kolt Anderson stated the college should not permit the drag occasion due to the fact it’s “now no longer without a doubt professional.” “I understand human beings like me, who assume it`s silly that they`re doing this, and it`s form of a shaggy dog story to us,” Anderson advised KAMR. “A lot people simply see that human beings are embarrassing the campus as a whole.” Another pupil in prefer of Wendler’s decision, Zack Byrd, used Christianity to justify his competition to the drag display.

“I`m a Christian myself. I stay withinside the word, and it says that during Leviticus, that they may now no longer input the dominion of heaven in the event that they keep to their ways, and I sense awful for them,” Byrd advised KAMR. “I need them to be with me as I input into the into heavens. They`re my brothers and sisters, and they may be now no longer doing well. They are going to die. That hurts me, due to the fact the ones are Jesus’ youngsters.”

Drag, a as soon as underground artwork shape that has deep roots with the LGBTQ community, has grow to be a political flashpoint in current months. Legislators in as a minimum sixteen states — along with in Texas — have proposed measures this yr that might limition drag performances, in line with an NBC News analysis. The majority of the payments might limition such performances in the front of minors.

Supporters argue that those measures are had to defend youngsters from obscene entertainment, even as critics say they widely paint all drag as openly sexual and unfairly goal the LGBTQ community.

This month, Tennessee have become the primary kingdom to enact such legislation, banning the artwork shape in public and at places in which it may be visible through minors. Performers who violate the regulation greater than as soon as may be charged with a prison and despatched to jail for up to 6 years.