MADISON, Wis. — The Madison Metropolitan School District has postponed a student-led drag show organized by East High School students after receiving messages about the event that raised concerns about safety.
The event, which was scheduled for next Thursday, drew backlash after a conservative Twitter account called @libsoftiktok shared a screenshot of a school newsletter promoting the event as “East’s first annual, (family friendly) drag show intended to celebrate, affirm, and support EHS students and staff in our LGBTQIA+ as well as our larger school community.”
According to Twitter analytics, the tweet got over 550,000 views, with many retweets and replies condemning the event and high school.
Among those to weigh in on social media was former Gov. Scott Walker.
“Let’s be clear: ‘drag shows’ are strip shows. They are wrong. They are particularly wrong at school. They are definitely not ‘family-friendly,’” he wrote on Twitter.
In response, MMSD Board of Education President Ali Muldrow called Walker’s comments “intentionally inaccurate and misleading.”
“Our young people have every right to have expansive, creative, self-determined and liberating relationships with gender expression,” Muldrow added. “I am so incredibly grateful for every adult who has made our students feel safe to be exactly who they are. I am outraged that politicians would risk subjecting children to hatred and violence while desperately seeking attention, inciting fear and misunderstanding. Using children at school to stoke division is not only irresponsible it’s dangerous.”
In an email to News 3 Now on Monday, MMSD spokesperson Tim LeMonds said the event “has recently gained significant local and national media attention.”
“As a result, East High School and MMSD’s district office are very grateful for the abundance of messages we have received in support of this celebration to affirm our LGBTQIA+ students and staff and uplift the tremendous work of our [Gender and Sexuality Alliance organization member] students,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, we have also received several messages that have raised a number of safety concerns for this student-led event. Without question, the safety of all of our students, staff, and families must be our top priority. Therefore, due to these recent safety concerns, we have decided to postpone this event to a later date.”
LeMonds did not specify the nature of the messages that prompted the concerns about safety but said the postponement will allow the district to refine its safety plan for the event.
RELATED: Police: No direct security threats to UW Health after tweets targeting gender services
The Twitter account that shared the newsletter, which has more than 1.7 million followers, has been suspended from Twitter multiple times for threats generated, including one directed at UW Health last October citing the hospital’s gender services.
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