Last Updated on May 25, 2022
A student organization in Ankeny, Iowa hosted a drag show on Monday where at least one performer gave students tips on “gender identity.” The high school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club hosted the performers after school for their end-of-year meeting without authorization from administrators, according to a tweet from the district.
.@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
In one image, a student can be seen handing one of the performers cash.
In another video, one of the performers told students that drag performances helped them with the “very beginning stages” of a gender identity “journey.”
“When I felt like I couldn’t express myself in school, or I felt like I had to look like this at school… I could be whoever I wanted to be,” the performer said. “And I started to think, ‘What is gender?’ And I realized that no matter what pronouns you use, you are who you are… I know on the inside that I am who I am.”
The performer went on to claim that gender identity can fluctuate over time. “I feel like sometimes I do identify as a male,” the performer said. “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.”
According to Libs of Tik Tok, a handful of students also participated in the performances.
I have obtained more footage of the drag show for students which took place at @Ankeny_Hawks in @AnkenySchools. pic.twitter.com/igVjy6zNxM
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 24, 2022
The district has denied that it had anything to do with the drag performance and that it was authorized without the consent of administrators.
“The district has been made aware of an unauthorized performance that took place yesterday after school at Ankeny High School,” wrote Dr. Erick Pruitt, who serves as the district’s superintendent, in an email to parents. “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.”
Pruitt went on to say that the district is investigating the incident and is “following the processes and procedures laid out in board policy.”
UPDATE: Superintendent @erick_pruitt just sent this email to parents, again claiming the administration was not aware of this event and did not approve it. pic.twitter.com/9QXTvWG27w
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 25, 2022
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