Video: Drag queens perform during Milwaukee Bucks 'Pride Night' halftime show. But not everyone is gleeful about it.



Drag queens performed for the crowd at halftime during "Pride Night" at the Milwaukee Bucks' home game Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets, Fox News reported.

What are the details?

Here are a couple of clips:

\u201cAt @Bucks PRIDE Night!\n#ShowYourPride\n#WeAreYourFamily\n#WeSeeYou\u201d
— Julie Marie Totsch \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 (@Julie Marie Totsch \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2) 1674701432
\u201chttps://t.co/t2CpaKY7aN\u201d
— - (@-) 1674769746

As you might imagine, not everybody was happy about the drag queens doing their thing:

  • "As a bisexual woman I'm disgusted by the extremists in our community along w/the sports orgs & businesses who promote Drag Shows at family events," one Twitter user commented. "Since when has it become acceptable to sexually victimize children?! This is not the time or place for adult entertainment."
  • "Are there any gay persons out there insulted that your community is being conflated with drag queens and trans grooming?" another commenter wondered. "Is that the public image you want to cling to? Is that really all you have to be 'proud' of? Is that the best you can do? Sure seems like it."
  • "Damn they really gotta shove gay in everyones' faces like that, seems a bit much," another user observed.
  • "NBA grooming kids and being used as a tool to desensitize kids," another commenter said. "This is why I don’t watch sports anymore."

Doug Russell, sports director for iHeart Radio Milwaukee and Madison, was peeved at the "pearl-clutchers" concerned about kids being in attendance during the drag show. But St. Louis-based conservative radio talk show host Mark Reardon challenged Russell's argument:

\u201c@DougRussell @Bucks My question is WHY are they necessary at a @Bucks game? Rhetorical question. I loved @KinkyBootsBway \u2026one of the best. I recommend for everyone! But I\u2019m also cool with drag shows having a place\u2026like where people have a choice. \ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffd\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\u201d
— Doug Russell (@Doug Russell) 1674699299

But wait, there's more!

If you assumed the drag queen show was the only thing happening in relation to the Bucks' "Pride Night," have we got a surprise for you! For starters, the first 10,000 fans through the door were to receive a Bucks pride beanie:

\u201cThe perfect giveaway for a \u2603\ufe0f @Bucks Pride Night! \n\nThe first 10k fans will receive this beanie tonight courtesy of @Froedtert & MCW! \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udfc0\ud83e\udd8c\u201d
— Fiserv Forum (@Fiserv Forum) 1674684385

The arena was duly adorned with rainbow lights:

\u201cHappy @Bucks Pride Night! \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83e\udd8c\u201d
— Fiserv Forum (@Fiserv Forum) 1674694792

If you were in the mood to hit the Bucks' pro shop, you could snag yourself one of the shirts depicted in the tweet below, the back of which read: "LGBTQIA: Activist, Lesbian, Mentor, Advocate, Gay, Confidant, Bisexual, Pride, Teacher, Transgender, Two-Spirit, Counselor, Queer, Family, Intersex, Pansexual, Ally, Partner, Asexual, Friend."

\u201cHappy Pride Night Bucks fans! Celebrate Pride with us tonight and snag yourself one of these tees! \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\u2728\n\nA portion of the sales will benefit @PathfindersMKE \n\nShirt: https://t.co/hHGScgDcZz\u201d
— Bucks Pro Shop (@Bucks Pro Shop) 1674687600

Bucks players advocated for the LGBTQ community in a prepared video for "Pride Night":

\u201cThe power of sport can bring everybody together.\u201d
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Milwaukee Bucks) 1674662557

"The power of sport can bring everyone together, right?" guard Pat Connaughton said. "It doesn’t matter your gender. It doesn’t matter your ethnicity. It doesn’t matter [your] political views, and it definitely doesn’t matter your sexual identity."

Forward Joe Ingles added that it's "very important for fans and athletes and everyone in this world to make sporting events and any event for the LGBTQ community more accessible and more welcoming."

After the game, you could "keep the Bucks Pride Night Celebrations going" at a postgame party featuring "DJ Boyfrrriend":

\u201cCheering on the @Bucks at @FiservForum tonight? \ud83c\udfc0 Keep the Bucks Pride Night Celebrations going at The MECCA! \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 The Postgame Party, presented by @Froedtert & MCW, tips off following the game. Enjoy live music from DJ Boyfrrriend, drink specials & more. \ud83c\udfb6\u201d
— The MECCA Sports Bar and Grill (@The MECCA Sports Bar and Grill) 1674686254

Anything else?

Just last week, Philadelphia Flyers player Ivan Provorov was raked over the woke coals for refusing to take part in the hockey team's pre-game warm-up featuring players with rainbow colors on their uniforms and sticks. Provorov cited his religion — Russian Orthodoxy — as his reason for opting out of the warm-up.

The author of ESPN's story about the controversy — Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer for the sports network — blasted Provorov on Twitter for his refusal to take part in the warm-up. E.J. Hradek — senior reporter for the NHL Network — suggested that Provorov return to Russia and even fight Ukraine if he didn't want to "assimilate into his group of teammates and in the community and here in this country."

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Breaking: Milwaukee Bucks refuse to play game in protest over police shooting of Jacob Blake; NBA postpones all remaining Wednesday playoff games



The entire Milwaukee Bucks NBA team refused to take the court in their game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, in protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake — a black man — in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The league has postponed the rest of the night's games in reaction to the Bucks' decision.

What are the details?

Game 5 in the Bucks' series against the Magic was originally scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET. Ahead of the anticipated tip-off, Orlando players were on the floor taking practice shots, but returned to their locker rooms after it became clear that Milwaukee players would not be joining them.

Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry voiced his support of the players' decision to strike in protest, tweeting, "Some things are bigger than basketball. The stand taken today by the players and org shows that we're fed up. Enough is enough. Change needs to happen. I'm incredibly proud of our guys and we stand 100% behind our players ready to assist and bring about real change."

Some things are bigger than basketball. The stand taken today by the players and org shows that we’re fed up. Enoug… https://t.co/S0WW1tR3Ri
— Alex Lasry (@Alex Lasry)1598474550.0

The NBA then announced it would postpone all of the games that had been slated for the evening, issuing a statement saying, "The NBA and the NBPA today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks' decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today's three games – MIL-ORL, HOU-OKC and LAL-POR have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled."

The NBA and the NBPA today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for… https://t.co/knTq6qq1oE
— NBA (@NBA)1598476220.0

NBA reporter Shams Charania reported that the Bucks players were reaching out to speak with Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul (D). He also signaled that other teams were considering boycotting games, and tweeted that "NBA players have called for a meeting tonight in Orlando to determine next steps, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium."

According to Los Angeles Times national correspondent Matt Pearce, "The NBA collective bargaining agreement bans strikes, which means the Bucks are breaking their own contract to stop playing in protest of police violence."

"But," he added, "this is your reminder that there aren't really illegal strikes, just unsuccessful ones."

Players from other teams also cheered on the Bucks' protest on social media, with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeting, "F*** THIS MAN!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT."

Blake, 29, was shot several times in the back by a Kenosha Police Department officer over the weekend, reportedly leaving him paralyzed. His shooting led to protests and violent riots in the city that is roughly 40 minutes from Milwaukee, adding to the ongoing nationwide demonstrations and unrest over racial injustice that began following the death of George Floyd in May.