Bold Iowa mom shows up at school board meeting dressed like drag performer to prove a point
An Iowa mom and activist made a statement at a school board meeting by demanding answers about a drag performance hosted at the school, all while dressed like the drag performer.
Kimberly Reicks, a self-described "accidental activist," appeared at the Ankeny School Board meeting on Monday night and demanded that the board apologize and pass a resolution "to make sure that this doesn't happen again on school grounds."
In May, Ankeny High School's Gay Straight Alliance hosted an after-school drag performance as part of an end-of-year meeting. The club invited drag performers from the Iowa Youth Parade Pageant to come and put on a show. School officials said the event was not authorized and organizers did not follow protocol in response to controversy after video of the wildly inappropriate performance went viral on social media.
\u201c.@Ankeny_Hawks brought in drag queens to perform for students during school. The drag queens also spoke to students about gender identity and expression.\u201d— Libs of TikTok (@Libs of TikTok) 1653417930
Reicks turned heads Monday night by attending the school board meeting dressed in a revealing leotard similar to the one worn by the drag performer to highlight the inappropriateness of the performance.
\u201cA high school in Ankeny, Iowa held an after-school drag performance for students.\n\nIn response, a mother in the district named Kimberly Reicks showed up to a school board meeting dressed in the outfit that the drag performer wore in front of students.\u201d— 1776 Project Pac (@1776 Project Pac) 1664927668
"Where's the transparency in this?" Reicks asked during public comments, according to the Des Moines Register. "How are we going to entrust you — the board members — to do what is right for us parents and make sure that the kids know what is right?"
Standing next to Reicks was another activist with the group Freedom Over Fear, who held a sign, featuring pictures of the drag performer, that asked, "Is it appropriate for an exotic dancer to seduce the children in our public schools?"
As she spoke, Reicks stepped back from the podium and removed her jacket and sweatpants to reveal the same outfit worn by the drag performer.
"I want to know: Does this outfit make you turn your head?" she demanded of the board and the audience. "Is this outfit appropriate for anybody here to see?"
"Because if this makes your head turn, if this p----s you off, then it should. Because this guy walked into our school, wearing exactly the same thing," she added, before a board member interrupted and asked her to keep her comments directed to the board.
Turning back to the board, Reicks said she was "embarrassed to stand here with the outfit I have today. I want to prove that this outfit should not ever be accepted in our school any way."
Reicks is the founder of Iowa Mama Bears, an organization that opposes COVID-19 mandates and LGBT indoctrination in schools. She has previously challenged the school district's masking policies and filed a lawsuit alleging officials retaliated against her. Her case has been appealed to the Iowa State Supreme Court.
She was present with Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) when the governor signed a law that banned mask mandates in Iowa schools, cities, and counties.