A family adventure park has said it will end all future Pride events after children were exposed to a sexually explicit drag queen performance recently.
The UK-based Adventure Island allowed a performance this past weekend by a drag queen who was seen wearing an angle grinder, fishnet stockings, a leotard, and high heels, as a crowd of 50 onlookers, including children, watched the event, Daily Mail reported.
A drag queen named Crystal, whose real name is Colin Munro, reportedly made thrusting motions with his hips, while running his hand up and down the angle grinder making sparks shoot from a metal plate connected to his crotch.
Crystal was a performer on the first season of BBC’s television show Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, which aired in 2019.
Philip Miller, Adventure Island’s executive chairman, told Daily Mail that there was “confusion” as to what the park would allow or not. He also stated that the “grinding act” was a “nonstarter” because it was not family entertainment.
Miller said the park will not participate in any future Pride events, will not book the drag performer again, and the park has issued an apology to guests.
According to a statement from Miller cited by Daily Mail, he said:
We humbly apologize to all of our loyal customers for any offense caused. There was confusion between us and the act as to what we would allow or not as it were. The grinding act was most definitely a nonstarter as we are ostensibly a family park and that is just not family entertainment. Rest assured we will not be rebooking this act or participate in any future PRIDE celebrations it’s just not for us, we tried to be inclusive but it has backfired on us.
Parents were outraged by the performance and have said they will not be returning to the park with or without their children.
“I won’t be going back and I won’t be taking my kids there,” a woman identified as Amanda told the outlet. “That is a line you don’t cross. That tells me everything you need to know about how they value children.”
Over the past year, at least 57 drag events have been targeted by protestors who have sought to protect children, according to a report from a pro-LGBTQ advocacy group.
