In SLO County, the drag show was a go — yet the fetish ball was foiled | Opinion

Bravo to the drag queens — and to the performing arts center that provided them a stage.

The Clark Center in Arroyo Grande stood up to bullies by hosting an April 22 drag show with performances by Cher and Madonna impersonators and by Ada Vox, a finalist on American Idol.

“It’s no different than going to see an ABBA cover band,” said Kassi Dee, owner of Nan’s Pre-Owned Books, which is sponsoring the event.

Yet it was nonetheless condemned by the far right, whose members took to social media to denounce it as “an aberration,” “shameful” and “a sign of moral decay.”

Fortunately, supporters outnumbered them, and the nearly sold-out show was a go.

In this repressive day and age, that’s progress.

Outlawing drag shows

Condemnation of any “drag” performance — even the tamest variety — has become all too common, especially in conservative communities.

Never mind that there is a centuries-old tradition of men impersonating women. Some of our most esteemed actors have won accolades for roles that required them to dress in drag.

Remember Robin Williams in “Mrs. Doubtfire”?

Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie”?

Or Arnold Schwarzenegger — a California governor, no less — in “Junior”?

Apparently, drag performances played for laughs are OK — especially when they’re on the big screen.

Live “cabaret” style performances are another matter, so much so that some states are trying to outlaw them.

Tennessee was the first to pass a law that criminalized “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors” and classified “male or female impersonators” as a form of adult cabaret, though a judge temporarily blocked it as overly vague.

Fetish ball canceled

While opposition to entertainment deemed “unwholesome” by the far right has been strongest in conservative states, even liberal California has its limits, especially in smaller communities.

In the coastal town of Los Osos, an invitation-only fetish ball at the South Bay Community Center was canceled by organizers following a backlash — which included threats of violence — by some community members.

According to a post on Reddit, the outrage “proved too difficult to overcome” and organizers worried that one of the sponsors of the event, the Gala Pride & Diversity Center, would be targeted.

Organizers of the fetish ball, scheduled for the first weekend in May, opted to cancel.

That was classy.

The horrified reactions that led to the cancellation were not.

Judging by the ground rules that had been laid out in advance, this was a well-planned event that included classes on topics such as consent and safe kink techniques.

No one under 18 was to be admitted; COVID-19 vaccinations were required; and drugs and alcohol were prohibited. An explicit list of “house rules” spelled out other banned behaviors — no full nudity, for instance — and measures were to be taken to ensure passers-by wouldn’t inadvertently see what was going on inside.

What’s more, the event was totally in keeping with the mission of the nonprofit South Bay Community Center, which is to promote a sense of community by making the space available “for cultural, social, health, educational and recreational services, without discrimination.”

The center is governed by a volunteer, salt-of-the-earth board of directors that includes members of People Helping People, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs — not exactly the type of folks who would promote wickedness, debauchery and corruption of youth.

Don’t like it? Don’t go

Granted, fetish balls and drag shows aren’t to everyone’s taste.

So what?

If you don’t like them, don’t go.

This entertainment is not being forced on anyone.

Nor are children being inadvertently exposed to harmful content. If anything, there’s more of a danger of children viewing inappropriate content on the internet, or even on tele<FZ,1,7,84>vision.

This is just another silly battle in the radical right’s crusade to impose their values on all Americans.

Picking on male performers who impersonate Cher or Lady Gaga or Britney Spears won’t protect children. Nor will chastising community centers that follow their bylaws by allowing adults-only events.

But harnessing that misdirected outrage toward eradicating the real dangers our children face — poverty, homelessness, drug abuse and gun violence — just might.

Outlawing drag shows

Condemnation of any “drag” performance — even the tamest variety — has become all too common, especially in conservative communities.

Never mind that there is a centuries-old tradition of men impersonating women. Some of our most esteemed actors have won accolades for roles that required them to dress in drag.

Remember Robin Williams in “Mrs. Doubtfire”?

Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie”?

Or Arnold Schwarzenegger — a California governor, no less — in “Junior”?

Apparently, drag performances played for laughs are OK — especially when they’re on the big screen.

Live “cabaret” style performances are another matter, so much so that some states are trying to outlaw them.

Tennessee was the first to pass a law that criminalized “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors” and classified “male or female impersonators” as a form of adult cabaret, though a judge temporarily blocked it as overly vague.

Fetish ball canceled

While opposition to entertainment deemed “unwholesome” by the far right has been strongest in conservative states, even liberal California has its limits, especially in smaller communities.

In the coastal town of Los Osos, an invitation-only fetish ball at the South Bay Community Center was canceled by organizers following a backlash — which included threats of violence — by some community members.

According to a post on Reddit, the outrage “proved too difficult to overcome” and organizers worried that one of the sponsors of the event, the Gala Pride & Diversity Center, would be targeted.

Organizers of the fetish ball, scheduled for the first weekend in May, opted to cancel.

That was classy.

The horrified reactions that led to the cancellation were not.

Judging by the ground rules that had been laid out in advance, this was a well-planned event that included classes on topics such as consent and safe kink techniques.

No one under 18 was to be admitted; COVID-19 vaccinations were required; and drugs and alcohol were prohibited. An explicit list of “house rules” spelled out other banned behaviors — no full nudity, for instance — and measures were to be taken to ensure passers-by wouldn’t inadvertently see what was going on inside.

What’s more, the event was totally in keeping with the mission of the nonprofit South Bay Community Center, which is to promote a sense of community by making the space available “for cultural, social, health, educational and recreational services, without discrimination.”

The center is governed by a volunteer, salt-of-the-earth board of directors that includes members of People Helping People, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs — not exactly the type of folks who would promote wickedness, debauchery and corruption of youth.

Don’t like it? Don’t go

Granted, fetish balls and drag shows aren’t to everyone’s taste.

So what?

If you don’t like them, don’t go.

This entertainment is not being forced on anyone.

Nor are children being inadvertently exposed to harmful content. If anything, there’s more of a danger of children viewing inappropriate content on the internet, or even on tele<FZ,1,7,84>vision.

This is just another silly battle in the radical right’s crusade to impose their values on all Americans.

Picking on male performers who impersonate Cher or Lady Gaga or Britney Spears won’t protect children. Nor will chastising community centers that follow their bylaws by allowing adults-only events.

But harnessing that misdirected outrage toward eradicating the real dangers our children face — poverty, homelessness, drug abuse and gun violence — just might.

This editorial was updated for timeliness.