Children's drag fairytale event cancelled due to concerns over protest

A Tecumseh restaurant holding a fairytale event for children involving drag performers says it's cancelled the event because of online backlash — backlash that the owner says sparked safety concerns.

"People have twisted this, and the accusations that they have put against myself, my staff, my business, it's actually disgusting," says Nicole Hanson, owner of Healthy Mama restaurant.

Hanson says the event was supposed to be "literally the drag queen community coming in, dressed as princesses and princes and reading and singing along with children." It would have been similar, she says, to a birthday party.

But when the restaurant posted about the event, it went viral online. Hanson says there were more than 100 comments, some accusing the restaurant of being "groomers." Commenters also accused the restaurant of hosting an "all ages sex show" and "indoctrinating" children. 

Hanson, who's hosted drag shows in the past, says she's baffled. 

"I'm appalled, and I'm so hurt that these people are totally twisting it and making it something it was not," she said. "It was absolutely not."

She says some comments were suggesting people would protest the restaurant during the event, and that's a big reason she cancelled it.

"It wasn't safe to have children here if something went sideways out there, and it wasn't safe for the drag queens," she said. "I didn't feel they were in a safe spot at all."

Tecumseh OPP confirmed it's investigating the matter.

Hanson says there has been an outpouring of support from the community.

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"It's 10 times the negative that we're getting, so it's very nice to feel that," she said. 

"They recognize that this was a completely harmless event, not harmful whatsoever, not any intentions of being harmful."

Stephen Drouin is a drag performer from Windsor who now lives in Toronto. He performs under the name Hawaii Goodvibes.

'It's creative'

2 years ago

Duration 1:08

Stephen Drouin, who performs as a drag queen says it's insulting that people would see these types of events as grooming and that parents have the choice of whether or not to bring their children.

He wasn't due to perform at Healthy Mama, but he says the characterization of drag queens is absurd.

"It's actually just insulting to think that people are saying we're doing this to groom people," he said.

"If those are your thoughts and those are your opinions on what you think about grooming children, then you don't bring your kids to it."

Drouin said that people should realize that drag is not just one thing. 

"It's a multitude of different expressions," he said.