So there have already been posts from @quite-actually-a-nacho and @nemoneynicket , but a public university cancelled a drag show despite that action violating both the student contract and the first amendment.
Here’s the petition and the explanation from the poster of said petition.
Save the WTAMU Drag Show
“The student body of West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is calling for the reinstatement of the charity performance "A Fool's Drag Race" to be held on campus. The shunning of this performance constitutes an indirect attack on the LGBT+, feminist, and activist communities of the WTAMU student body by targeting an event that is meant to support an LGBT+ charity.
Several of West Texas A&M University's student organizations have been actively working for several months on a drag show production called "A Fool's Drag Race". The main aim of the drag show was to raise funds for the Trevor Project, an organization that addresses suicide prevention for LGBT+ youth. All proceeds from the show would be going towards the Trevor Project.
On March 20, 2023, the president of WTAMU, Dr. Walter Wendler, canceled this show. In an email addressed to the WTAMU student body, titled "A Harmless Drag Show? No Such Thing", the reasons he gave for canceling the show were that he viewed drag as something that promoted "derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny", citing religious texts and personal religious beliefs (in an email which was addressed to a public, non-religiously affiliated university), and comparing drag to blackface performances and other derogatory works. Not only is this a gross and abhorrent comparison of two completely different topics, but it is also an extremely distorted and incorrect definition of drag as a culture and form of performance art. Furthermore, as Section 1.3 of Rule 08.99.99.W1 WTAMU Expressive Activity on Campus states, "The university may not take action against a student organization or deny the organization any benefit generally available to other student organizations at the university on the basis of a political, religious, philosophical, ideological, or academic viewpoint expressed by the organization or any expressive activities of the organization." By suspending this drag show, Dr. Wendler is violating university policy.
We, the students of WTAMU, hope to bring this issue to Dr. Wendler's attention and urge him to reinstate the drag show on-campus. We are holding this drag show whether we have his support or not, but his extreme lack of compassion for the LGBT+ and activist student population on campus shows with this latest e-mail.
The university president’s statement can be read below.
West Texas A&M University will not host a drag show on campus. It was advertised for March 31, 2023, as an effort to raise money for The Tre
As a prospective student of this university, I cannot express how disappointed I was when I heard about this. To compare drag shows to blackface is appalling, and to cite religious beliefs when you are the head of a public university is embarrassing at best.
Though the petition has already reached its original goal, we still need more support, especially because an opposing petition was started.
