This must be an all-time cultural low. We are now encouraging those with special needs to imitate the sexual provocations of deluded same-sex impersonators—and calling it “art.”
That is exactly what the organizers of the Grand Rapids, Michigan art fair, Project 1, are attempting to do. This upcoming event, scheduled for September 7, will feature the London-based Drag Syndrome troop perform alongside local disabled drag queens. Drag Syndrome advertises itself as “Freshly Fierce! The world’s first drag troop featuring highly addictive drag queens and kings with Down’s Syndrome!”
Jill Vyn and Christopher Schmidt are the co-founders of the organization Dis-art which is promoting Drag Syndrome. In a recent indoctrination session cleverly disguised as an interview, the woefully confused and patronizing event organizers defended their choice as follows:
“We sought them out because they are at the highest level of disability drag,” stated Vyn. “The founders of the event understand that some people may be concerned because people with Down’s Syndrome have a limited mental capacity, and may not have the capacity to understand what they are taking part in,” she noted. “Not everyone thinks it’s for them, and that’s okay.”
Christopher Schmidt sought to re-educate the culturally backward, naive, and overreacting “some people” thusly:
“Drag has never only been about sexuality. Drag is about gender performance, Drag is about expression. Drag is also about ridding the culture of really damaging stereotypes. People with Down’s syndrome, or any disabled person, has at their disposal multiple art forms that they look for to get out into the world their version of life and their own identity. So judging these performers only on their Down’s syndrome or only on their disability status, that’s the same thing as judging someone on race… There’s some mystery, there’s some potential controversy, but in the end we hope this is an opportunity for our community to move forward.”
Anyone listening to this condescending chicanery who possesses a moderate amount of human decency will have one of three responses. First response: “Drag has never been all about sexuality?”
It’s All About Sex
With just a few moments of research into Drag Syndrome, one encounters one of the troop’s most outspoken members, Otto Touting. In 2009 Touting starred in a documentary about his experience of losing his virginity in Las Vegas. Touting performs in drag as a character named Horrora Shebang. Touting explains: “Horrora Shebang is very powerful. She is really drag, darling. She likes a bit of Barbie. She’s sexy, sassy and a bit hilarious.” Touting performs as Horrora Shebang dressed in an all-leather cat suit, holding a whip.
But remember: “Drag has never been all about sex.” Meanwhile, Daniel Vais, Drag Syndrome’s creative director, sums up the group’s goals with these words:
“Audiences think the queens are great performers first and foremost, with an interesting way of playing with gender, identity and sexuality. Through drag they can be fierce, sexual, wild, and they can express their ideas… For the audience to see a performer playing with gender, some people can feel uncomfortable because they don’t see people with Down Syndrome as sexual beings or someone who is connected to gender of sexual desire.”
Enough already of this depraved abuser’s sick agenda. We get the point. Moving on to our second response: The event directors say Drag is “about ridding the culture of really damaging stereotypes.”
Quite to the Contrary, Drag = Creating a Stereotype
Drag creates for the world a grotesque, oversexed, caricature of the opposite sex which objectifies, dehumanizes, demeans. This is not art. How is this less an act of stereotyping than teaching those with mental challenges to tap dance in black face?
Which brings us to our third response: The event organizers tell us this is about helping persons with disabilities find their identity. Tragically, disability drag achieves just the opposite.
Lost in a Delusion
Drag Syndrome’s Otto Touting describes life as a drag performer as being very similar to that of a superhero: “By day I am a man, and by night I am a drag queen… They worshiped me on stage.”
Words cannot adequately describe the evil of this callous exploitation. First it was our children, and now it’s those with mental disabilities. Is there no group the militant gender defilers will not tap into to justify their own wicked delusions?
“Foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless,” (Romans 1:31).
