Kansas 3rd District Congresswoman Sharice Davids celebrated gay PRIDE Month Sunday as the featured speaker at an event in Gardner that included a drag show with children in attendance.
Davids posted about her attendance at the event on her X (Twitter) account, but deleted any images or reference to the drag show segment. The conservative account LibsOfTikTok however reposted Davids’ still photos and included video of at least two men dancing suggestively and taking tips from the audience, which appeared to include at least a half dozen children under the age of 14. Davids is seen speaking to the crowd in one still photo under a banner reading “Thank You To Our Entertainers.”
Davids, who is gay, represents Anderson, Franklin, Miami, Johnson and parts of Wyandotte County.
Gardner Kansas Pride refused to answer questions from the Informer as to how often it hosts drag events that include children or other details of the event, instead directing us to the organization’s website and to Sharice Davids office.
“Gardner KS Pride is a non-profit serving the Gardner community through family-friendly community events and as volunteers for local organizations,” read an email signed by Gardner KS Pride Executive Board.
As of this post Davids’ office in Washington, D.C., had not yet responded to the Informer’s request for comment.
Drag performances before audiences that include children and storybook readings for kids by drag performers in classrooms has become a focal point of controversy between members of the gay and queer community, who say the performative experiences help make children more accepting of gay and queer lifestyles, and conservatives who say grooming children to such lifestyles violates traditional values and confuses children as to gender and appropriate sex roles.
While some commenters on both Davids’ post and the LibsOfTikTock clip supported the event, others questioned the congresswoman’s prioritization of an LGBTQ event in view of her recent vote against a pay raise for the U.S. Military.
“Look forward to June being over so you can focus on the needs of the 97% of Kansans you seem to always forget,” said Leisa Charles of Shawnee.
“The poor children,” said a commenter known as Richdhrc555. “Every adult in that room needs to be in prison for subjecting the kids to pornography. Say no to Democrat debauchery especially when they are grooming children and trying to normalize their perversions.”
A focus on gay and trans influence on children in its care allegedly prompted some former customers of Hilltop Center For Child Development to remove their children from the facility, which is the University of Kansas’ staff and student daycare provider in Lawrence. A drag queen story hour event at Hilltop was moved from the Hilltop campus to a remote location in May, after protestors said they planned to picket the school during the time the event was announced on Hilltop’s social media.
Dane Hicks is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA. He is the author of novels "The Skinning Tree" and "A Whisper For Help." As publisher of the Anderson County Review in Garnett, KS., he is a recipient of the Kansas Press Association's Boyd Community Service Award as well as more than 60 awards for excellence in news, editorial and photography.
