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Canada's Carousel Theatre for Young People was recently on the receiving end of a major internet backlash. The Vancouver Theatre came under fire due to organizing a Theatre Summer camp for kids that included a Drag Summer Camp for children between the ages of 7 and 17, after which the organizers received offline and online threats from various individuals and groups.
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of p*dophilia and similar implications. Reader's discretion is advised.
In response to the threats, a rally was organized on Granville Island, Vancouver, on Tuesday, July 4, by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees of the United States and Canada (IATSE). However, netizens continued to berate the event. Under a Libs of TikTok tweet regarding the event, users criticized the organizers and the country for allegedly supporting child grooming.
According to the poster on the official Carousel Theatre Instagram page, the Drag Summer Camp for kids was divided into two categories according to age. The Junior category was for kids ages 7 to 11, and the teen category was for teens between the ages of 12 and 17. The tuition Fee for the Junior camp was $460, and the Teen camp cost $900.
Last year, on June 22, the theater posted an Instagram post about how Drag can be for kids. This post is now pinned on their official Instagram. In the post, the theater stated that Drag can be for any age group, just like any other performance art, like dancing and singing, can be for any age group.
"Drag was, and still is, a way for individuals to find community, safety, and joy in times of hate and harm."
The post also clarified that Drag was not limited to people of the queer community but was for everyone regardless of their gender. Regarding the s*xualization allegations, the post read:
"Some drag spaces are for adults only, but the same goes for theatre, dance, visual art."
Carousel Theatre Drag Camp criticized for allegedly s*xualizing kids
As mentioned earlier, the Carousel Theater faced intense backlash on the announcement of a Drag Summer Camp. According to IATSE, Action4Canada, a group dedicated to protecting, "Faith, Family, and Freedom" attempted to disrupt the camp with a petition signed by over 17,000 people and allegedly legal documents. The July 4 gathering was organized as a response to criticisms and alleged threats.
According to June 17 Rumble post, the group presented the petition on behalf of CitizenGo on June 15. Action4Canada members stated that Drag Queens were adult performers with no business in children's spaces. According to the group, the managing directors of the event were served with a:
"Notice of Liability for facilitating in facilitating in the s*xual exploitation and luring of minors."
Aside from that, on July 6, Libs of TikTok tweeted regarding the drag camp that has since amassed over 130,000 views. Underneath the tweet, netizens alleged that Carousel Theatre's drag camp was exploitative by nature. People claimed that the entire thing reeked of p*dophilia and criticized Canada for allowing it to happen. Moreover, parents who allowed their kids to go to the camp received backlash.
IATSE organizes rally in support of Carousel Theatre
On Tuesday, July 4, a rally was organized at 1411 Cartwright Street, Granville Island, by the local chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees of the United States and Canada. A member of the group's pride committee Julie Wiebe told Global News:
“It’s our job to support artists and anybody who walks into the theatre, and we just want to continue supporting the community,”
A fundraising event was held by the Carousel Theatre in May to fund the extra security measures that were needed to combat the threats they were receiving. The spokesperson for the Carousel Theatre for Young People, Samantha Falk, told Global News:
“It’s death threats, it’s vitriolic hate. It’s terrible the kind of harassment they’ve been subjected to."
Falk added:
“Physical threats, emails, phone calls for almost eight weeks, every day. It has been relentless.”
A few protestors who were against the Theatre's actions, including people from different communities, were also present in the venue. However, their voices were drowned out by their proponents.
