On April 3, students and locals alike gathered on the campus of Western Kentucky University (WKU) for the community’s 10th annual Drag Show. Such shows have long garnered controversy, with some states essentially banning them outright. WKU’s 10th-anniversary show was no exception, with Kentuckians expressing outrage at the presence of small children at the show. The use of taxpayer dollars to fund such a spectacle only heightened the tension felt across the state. The WKU Talisman called the scene one of “empowerment” but many argue the show is nothing more than exploitation.
One picture in particular drew incredible criticism. In it, a four-year-old girl was photographed handing a tip to a drag queen known as “Gorgina George.” Regardless of how one feels about the appropriateness of drag shows for consenting adults, everyone should agree that the presence and involvement of children in such openly sexualizing displays is indefensible.
WKU’s drag show speaks to a larger cultural debate—one that raises uncomfortable but essential questions about parental responsibility, children’s rights, and the use of public funds to subsidize adult-themed entertainment.
Even discarding the debate concerning the moral and constitutional legitimacy of drag shows, it is evident to the majority of Kentuckians that children should not be present at such displays. Detractors will argue that parents have a right to do with their children whatever they wish. After all, parental rights are a deeply conservative impulse, right?
It is true that parents have the right to raise their children how they see fit. However, this right is not absolute. The Kentucky Unified Juvenile Code maintains that while parents have the right to raise their children how they see fit, there are limits to this right. The code goes on to denote the “fundamental rights” of children “which must be protected and preserved.” These rights include the right to food, shelter, and clothing, as well as the “right to be free from physical, sexual or emotional injury or exploitation.”
The practice of grown men, scantily clad in women’s clothing, performing in front of children would arguably meet the definition of sexually exploitative and emotionally injurious behavior. The state of Tennessee holds this view, which is why they banned drag performances in public places or in places where the performance “could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.”
The bill is by no means prejudiced against the drag community, rather it also bans children from being present at establishments that host a slew of sexualized performances, including “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration.”
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti stated that while the state “respects the right to free expression… Tennessee’s ‘harmful to minors’ standard is constitutionally sound and Tennessee can absolutely prohibit the exhibition of obscene material to children.” Though the bill has been challenged, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed this challenge when it ruled that an LGBTQ+ theater company’s complaint lacked the right to sue over the law.
It is clear that the presence of children at these performances is a hot-button issue, which makes WKU’s choice to host this show all the more egregious. The idea of a preschooler handing money to an adult performer at a sexualized display that is banned in a neighboring state is appalling.
What is even more appalling is that state tax dollars went to fund this spectacle. The show was put on by WKU’s Housing and Residence Life, which receives a budget of over $5 million per year. Using such funds to host this show is simply unacceptable.
Kentuckians must hold our universities accountable for how they spend public monies. Last year, House Bill 402 and Senate Bill 147 were introduced to restrict where these performances can take place. Though the bills had wide support, they ultimately failed that session. In light of the recent controversy at WKU, Kentuckians should pray that such bills will pass in the 2026 session.
One of the performers, “Queen Venus Knight,” said “with the way the world is going, it seems like this might be our last year performing.” If that’s true, and it means shielding children from adult-themed displays, then let it be their last—and good riddance.
