Californians attend Drag Queen Bible Study Hour
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - In San Francisco, people came to Calvary Presbyterian Church for a drag queen bible story hour.
Organizers were hoping to provide a different perspective after some of the pushback that has occurred around the country around drag performances.
Reverend Victor Floyd says it's a first for Calvary Presbyterian Church. They've held a pre-pride prayer service before, but this is something new.
"We're hoping to offer a little balance to all of the hateful rhetoric that is out in the country and especially from churches and politicians who are using churches and using trans people and drag queens as their props," Floyd spoke.
Listened to the message
Supporters came early and sat, and they listened to the message. And there was song.
"I think that Pride Month is extremely important these days, because so many of us come up in shame and that's why we need pride," said Flamy Grant, a drag performer.
Floyd says not everyone supported the church hosting the event.
"Because of the recent protests in Petaluma and Loomis Basin, up near Roseville, and because of the some of the irate emails we have gotten...I think responded with a lot of security consideration we don't expect anything to go wrong," Floyd remarked.
Pushback
Recently, a drag event in the South Bay also drew some pushback online. Lawmakers in states across the country have introduced bills to restrict LGBTQ rights.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Tennessee struck down the state's law aimed at restricting drag performances, ruling it unconstitutional.
"I hope people take joy away and with we always say, 'The kind of joy the world can't give,'" Floyd expressed.
"That we are creative beings. It's just in our core, and to tell someone that they can't be what their imagination tells them...that's a violation of what's sacred about us," Grant discussed.
