‘James and the Giant Peach’ Axed Over Imaginary Drag Queens
Witch hunts and mob mentality are growing
So, you aren’t going to believe this, or maybe you might not WANT to believe it. A large school district in Houston, Texas just canceled all field trips to a beloved children’s theater — over imaginary drag queens.
Yes, no drag queens appear in this story. But plenty of anti-LGBTQ hatred does.
Artists, actors, and playwrights have been warning for months that conservative hysteria over drag will have a chilling effect on ordinary art and public life … and, well, here’s a sad example.
Uninformed outrage is fostering real hatred in Houston today, leaving the targets of that hatred bewildered and scared. Meanwhile, outrage is painting “groomer” targets on the backs of LGBTQ Texans who have nothing to do with this silly, manufactured controversy.
According to the Houston Chronicle, parents at Spring Branch Independent School District raised an outraged, uninformed stink over Main Street Theater performances of “James and the Giant Peach,” adapted from Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel. Those parents convinced administrators to declare a district-wide ban on already-scheduled trips to see the play.
