A group of protestors outside a Halloween youth drag dance Oct. 27, 2022, in Kelowna.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Noni Phillips

A night of Kelowna Halloween fun and drag for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth was interrupted earlier this week by a group of protestors claiming the event was sexualizing children.

The Queer Youth Halloween Drag and Dance was hosted by Free Parent Hugs Kelowna at the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club on Graham Street and featured performances from local drag queens for youth ages 12 to 18, Oct. 27.

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However, organizers soon noticed a small group of protestors standing outside the venue, holding photos of the drag queens' attire from previous performances with signs stating “let’s put an end to the sexualization of our children.”

Noni Phillips, with Free Parent Hugs, said they prepared for this type of incident and didn’t engage with the protestors. The protestors also held signs with a photo of Phillips and her profession as well as school trustees Wayne Broughton, Valene Johnson and city Coun. Loyal Wooldridge.

“Thankfully they did not approach anyone or say anything to anyone in nature,” she said.

Free Parents also received an email prior to the performance, stating it was “shocking” that parents ”would think grown men dressed in scandalous clothing dancing is acceptable.”

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“It’s based on really transphobic and homophobic ideas that everything in the gay or pride community is connected to sex,” Phillips said. “It’s such an awful stereotype.”

Phillips noted it was an all-ages performance and the photos protesters took were from the drag queens’ adult shows.

“It’s a reminder that their identities are questioned and their existence is question and it was just another reminder of this discrimination that they face every day,” Phillips said.

“That is adult shows, that is adult costumes. That is not what our kids saw.”

By sharing this, she hopes it will bring awareness to what these youth face.

“A lot more people need to understand what it’s like,” she said.

Wooldridge posted a statement to his Facebook story last night, saying he will always work for two-spirited, non-binary and trans people to be seen, heard and respected. He is Kelowna’s first openly gay councillor.

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