Iowa high school says drag show was unapproved and under investigation after videos go viral online



Videos from a drag show performance at an Iowa high school went viral online on Tuesday, prompting the school to announce an investigation into the incident.

"The district has been made aware of an unauthorized performance that took place yesterday after school at Ankeny High School," read the statement from the school on Facebook.

"As a part of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Club’s end-of-the-year meeting, performers from the Central Iowa Youth Pride Pageant were invited to share a drag performance. While the GSA is an approved school club, this performance was not approved by the building administration and did not follow the correct protocols prior to the meeting," the statement continued.

"This performance was after school and localized to the students participating in the club. It was not approved by the building administration, and it is currently under investigation," it concluded.

Videos reportedly from the drag show were posted to the popular "Libs of TikTok" account and quickly went viral.

.@Ankeny_Hawks brought in drag queens to perform for students during school. The drag queens also spoke to students about gender identity and expression. pic.twitter.com/6PFv4QcIgx
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 24, 2022

The drag show was also documented at the Iowa Standard.

“Sometimes because of who I am I don’t really feel like I’m a man,” a performer reportedly told the students. “I don’t always feel like I am that like masculine figure everyone wants to see from someone that uses he/him pronouns."

One photograph from the event appears to show a student handing a dollar to the drag performer on stage.

"I feel like sometimes I do identify as a male. I feel like sometimes I’m more in the middle of the spectrum — not one or the other. That’s where I am right now," the performer continued.

That performer also reportedly told the students to contact them if they were confused about their gender.

The "Libs of TikTok" documented a similar event in April at a high school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The school apologized to parents and students and said the incident was under investigation.

Here's more about high school drag shows:

Online backlash grows over video of drag held at Lancaster County high schoolwww.youtube.com

Wisconsin high school closes out its Fine Arts Week with a drag performance by its very own French teacher



Middleton High School closed out its Fine Arts Week by featuring its French teacher in a drag show, Empower Wisconsin has reported.

What are the details?

Matthew Kashdan, the school's French teacher, "strutted onto the auditorium stage in a high-cut, blue sequinned dress, red boots and blond wig, lip-syncing and dancing to 'Rain on Me' by pop divas Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande," the outlet reported Tuesday. "It was a surprise to the assembled students."

Shannan Valladolid, the district's director of information and public relations, told Empower Wisconsin that Fine Arts Week is chock-full of "performances that are enjoyed by students and staff alike."

"Performances range from music to dance to martial arts, culinary arts, visual arts, language arts, and other arts that fit our extensive definition of The Arts," Valladolid added.

What else?

At least one parent was furious over the performance and told conservative radio host Vicki McKenna that she is aghast that there are school professionals who would "destroy [students'] innocence for their own pleasure."

"I send my children to school and entrust them to teachers that I have to believe are professionals who won’t destroy their innocence for their own pleasure," the unnamed parent complained. "If MATTHEW KASHDAN makes a decision to perform his drag show at school, what else does he do in his classroom with a roomful of children? What kind of educators thought this was appropriate? Drag shows are 'fine arts?' If a teacher is a pole dancer or stripper, can they also perform for my children? ... I don’t care what MATTHEW KASHDAN does outside of school. I DO CARE what he does at Middleton High School."

Valladolid added that as of Tuesday morning, one parent reached out to complain about the performance.

"The school is reviewing protocols and processes going forward to make sure all perspectives are considered," she said, noting that parent permission to attend the events has never been a component to the popular annual week.