Politics

Anger Brews Over ‘Children’s’ Drag Queen Show to be Held at SAPAC

By Joe Hyde, Jun 22, 2023
 

SAN ANGELO, TX — Conservative activists are angry that a drag queen show is scheduled to be held at the San Angelo Performing Arts Center this weekend. One flier advertising the one of the multiple performances labels it as “family friendly” leading those activists to allege the Saturday matinee show is aimed at children.

“I’ve called up there (to SAPAC) and no one seems to know anything about it,” said Ginger Moore, who is an activist with the San Angelo Tea Party and runs in Republican circles. “Unfortunately it doesn’t seem that anyone in San Angelo is aware this is being done at SAPAC. Do the officers on the board know about this?”

The shows are scheduled by the Be Theatre for Friday evening, June 23, and the daytime show to be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. Be Theatre is a tenant performing dramatic arts organization located at the San Angelo Performing Arts Center.

“It’s a 2 o’clock ‘family friendly’ performance and you know it’s being aimed at our children,” Moore added.

The flier advertising the drag queen show where it notes that the show is "family friendly."

The flier advertising the drag queen show where it notes that the show is "family friendly."

Drag queen shows are ground zero in the culture wars. The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 2 in May that essentially bans drag queen shows aimed at children. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 18 but does not go into effect until Sept. 1, 2023. Ironically, Sen. Charles Perry’s legislative aide, Laura Lewis, sits on the Be Theatre board. Sen. Perry voted in favor of SB 2. She is vacationing overseas and did not answer our texts.

Many board members of Be Theatre are leaders in the San Angelo community, including board president Mike Burnett who is the executive director of the Concho Valley Community Action Agency and vice president Ken Roberts, a lifelong Rotarian and head of the USI Insurance Agency in the city. Roberts returned our call.

Roberts said that at a board meeting during the planning of the drag queen shows it was specifically instructed to the staff to not aim the shows at children. He said the flier in the Be Theatre Facebook Group notified all that the matinee show was for ages 16 and up.

“We didn’t think it would be appropriate to advertise the show as ‘family friendly’,” Roberts said. “We wanted to make sure we geared the advertising to those over 16.”

The conservatives argued that 16 years old is still marketing the show to minors.

Yukio Kuniyuki heads the entire SAPAC facility where the drag queen shows will be performed. He said concerned citizens should protest to the Be Theatre board. SAPAC and Be Theatre are not connected other than Be Theatre rents space from SAPAC. However, Yukio’s wife Karyn sits on the Be Theatre board.

The other concern mentioned was that public taxpayer dollars support the show. The support is indirect if at all. SAPAC receives an annual stipend from the Hotel Occupancy Tax that is collected at San Angelo hotels. And while SAPAC operates the Murphey Performance Hall that is physically connected to City Hall, the arrangement is a management contract, or service SAPAC provides to the City, not a taxpayer subsidy.

Kuniyuki noted that SAPAC is an equal opportunity venue for culture wars. SAPAC is hosting two Christian concerts such as Zach Williams on July 1 and Amy Grant on Sept. 28, he noted.

David Nowlin, a Republican who ran for mayor unsuccessfully in 2015, heard about the drag queen show this morning. He posted a Bible verse from Matthew 18:6 in response.

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

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Update (6/22/2023 at 5 p.m.): Lewis contacted us this afternoon and stated that she resigned from the board several months ago but is still incorrectly listed as a director on the Be Theatre website.  She said she asked the current board of Be Theatre to reconsider hosting a show like this.

From the West Texas Drag Queen Show. The center actor, with a beard, is N4X at Nite, who is headlining the Be Theatre Show.

From the West Texas Drag Queen Show. The center actor, with a beard, is N4X at Nite, who is headlining the Be Theatre Show.

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Joe, in your zeal to cry wolf to all of the ultra conservative readers, you misrepresented what I said.  I told you that the board and staff, as suggested by one the of the performers, mutually decided that we would redirect our marketing approach from family friendly to 16+.  We were all trying to be sensitive to the community's perceptions.  The staff did not have to be specifically instructed to do anything.  Nobody involved is trying to indoctrinate anyone's children, nor were they ever.  Men have been dressing up as woman for entertainment purposes for thousands of years.  No need to call the morality policy over this.  Even though the "family friendly" reference meant that the show was not to be sexually explicit in any way, it was also misinterpreted, so it was removed from all recent marketing.  Surely there are more important things for your readers to wring their hands over.

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live, Thu, 06/22/2023 - 14:56

No intent to misrepresent. From our conversation, you told me the board decided not to market it to kids. You even mentioned the messaging was not to include "family friendly." I don't record conversations because I think it's petty. Therefore readers can believe what I reported or what you wrote here. 

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Contrary to what is being put out on social media, this was not, nor was it ever intended to be, an adult content show directed at children.  That is a complete fabrication, drummed up by someone's overactive imagination.

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“Men have been dressing up as woman for entertainment purposes for thousands of years.  No need to call the morality policy over this.”

“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.” Deuteronomy 22:5

Ken, where do morals come from? 

 

 

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Adult content or not, you won't find me within a hundred miles of this bunch of disgusting weirdos. Not gonna do anything to impede their "fun", but I certainly don't want to see it and I sure as hell would never take a child there. Despite their best efforts to "normalize" cross-dressing, it is not normal behavior i.m.o.

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I am not a part of this show or any others but this is exactly how everyone should be! If you don’t like it don’t go!! That simple, people do not have to agree with it!

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GMann, Thu, 06/22/2023 - 15:50

The times are a changing in West Texas............... Back in the "Good Old Days" the Drag Queens " would not even on their wildest chemical induced illusions, come to San Angelo Texas to "preform their degeneracy".An inquiring mind would ask "does this mean the City of San Angelo promotes this kind of behavior " ? What is next ? What are the standards for the use of City Hall property ? Who approves the venues?

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MAGA, Thu, 06/22/2023 - 17:14

In other news there's been a recent shortage in hot pink spandex. Now we know who took it all. The oinker in that picture!

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MAGA, Fri, 06/23/2023 - 06:35

I didn't know you could hear text! And my looks are Joe Biden, glad you agree he's a dipshit!

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Never fails that when republicans dont have an actual intelligent argument they start attempting (poorly) to insult the American citizens they hate.

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I have an opinion just like everybody here.
I do not agree with this agenda that promotes showing to children this perversion. Science, Culture and Religion do not support lgbt as normal behavior 

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My question is why the fuck does it matter? And then to the man saying back in the good old days should we also hang Black people as well?

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GMann, Fri, 06/23/2023 - 16:16

Back in the "good old days" People stood up for their Christian beliefs and family values as well as doing the right thing. As far as your comment on "hang Black people as well" It does not matter what color your skin is , it is the actions you preform. No one person of any skin color is above the law. If you choose to go to the "Show" spend you money and go , I do not care. I do care if the "show " has deviant motives to children ! According to Texas Law any person under the age of 17 is considered a child.

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MAGA, Fri, 06/23/2023 - 16:32

If you've paid any attention to the good christian ppl lately a LOT of the men are predators. There are plenty of examples. Take the last scandal at Abilene Cristian where the ladies soccer team head coach was forced to resign because he was molesting children. 

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Don't push them, Brandon, or go pointing out the inconsistencies of their doctrines. You'll end up drugged up in an El Paso bus station and have a smear campaign run on you. I know this from experience.

Let these factions fight it out. The rest of us are stuck between the rock of ages and a pozzed place.

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My personal conclusion is that this is the stupidest protracted argument burdened by the stupidest comments imaginable.

Considering the environment I guess I should not be surprised.

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In the good old days, people also had honorable duels to the death. It's a shame that these days cowardice has become the norm and that people of dubious motives are able to weasel their way into positions of authority and dodge accountability like aikido masters.

It is unfortunate that so much that was built over generations will be lost to posterity in the conflicts that arise in the coming decades.

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It’s a pretty simple concept that I’m guessing the inbred maga idiots who live and copulate in SATX don’t get… if you don’t like it, don’t go. Don’t protest, just stay home in your little trailer house and yell at clouds some more. Dumbass rednecks. 

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Marmee, Thu, 06/22/2023 - 20:32

The flyer for the 2:00 show is very clear it states Family Friendly with Disney-like princess-themed graphics which means it is for families with children. It does not state 16 and up. 16 and up is the age limit for the evening shows. The flyer is clearly targeting Children which is disgusting. Shame on you Be Theatre.

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Is not a 16 year old considered a child as well?

 

Sec. 21.11. INDECENCY WITH A CHILD. (a) A person commits an offense if, with a child younger than 17 years of age, whether the child is of the same or opposite sex and regardless of whether the person knows the age of the child at the time of the offense, the person:

 

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