The following report was prepared with help from Lisa Kilday, who serves as the Political Action Chair of the Colonial Mt. Vernon Republican Women’s Club and helped organize this protest event.

On May 4, forty-five conservatives from several organizations gathered at the entrance of West Potomac High School (WPHS) in Alexandria, Virginia, to protest the school’s drag show for children. The protestors included members of the Colonial Mt. Vernon Republican Women’s Club, Catholics Engaged for Fairfax, TFP (Tradition-Family-Property) Student Action, and others. The group waved signs, played bagpipes, and prayed. 

About an hour after the protest started, 6 counter-protestors who supported the drag show for children arrived with two signs scribbled on poster board.

Despite a few negative reactions, including obscenities and an attempted egging, reactions of passers-by were overwhelmingly positive. In addition to the peaceful protest, TFP Student Action circulated a petition to stop the drag event, which garnered over 16,000 signatures.

Several members of the conservative groups attended the all-ages drag brunch and reported it as inappropriate and offensive, with children as young as eleven present.

Before the protest, WPHS Principal Jessica Statz confirmed that all events, including the Kinky Boots musical, Pride TalkBack, and the drag brunch, were open to all ages, and students could attend without parental permission. However, she said that she had not been the principal when Kinky Boots was selected as the school play. Principal Statz stated that the drag brunch was held by the West Potomac High School Theater Boosters, not the school itself, and that the school did not perform background checks. The Booster Club did not respond to questions about background checks for performers,

Considering the disturbing nature of these events held at West Potomac High School, activists and members of the attending conservative groups plan to contact various school and state officials for further clarification about background checks and alleged violations of indecent exposure laws.