Summer Drag Camp at Local Theatre Ignites Protest and Debate

Debate in Canada has erupted over a children's youth theater hosting a drag summer camp for kids, which provides children with drag makeup kits while they learn how to access their "inner confidence."

The four-day drag summer camp for youth aged seven to seventeen is taking place at Carousel Theatre on Granville Island, Vancouver, which has sparked heavy criticism in the community and drew in dueling protests.

The description of the drag summer camp listed on the theater's website states, "Drag Queens, Drag Kings, Drag Things, and anything in between are all welcome at Drag Camp!"

"Do you enjoy expressing yourself through clothing, makeup, and performance? Do you have an alter ego that is just waiting to hit the stage? Our new two week senior Drag Camp might be just your cup of tea, honey! Led by some of Vancouver’s established and emerging drag artists, you’ll learn how to access your inner confidence, show your true colours, and maybe even let out that inner diva! Join some of Vancouver’s most amazing drag artists and learn how drag can brighten up your life!"

"You might be wondering, is drag for kids? Drag is for everyone! Parents, ask yourself, what’s the difference between what you wear at home versus what you wear at work? You’re doing drag honey, you just don’t know it!" the theater wrote.

The camp, which costs $460 for kids ages 7 to 11 and $900 for ages 12 to 17, will reportedly provide its students with a drag makeup starter kit, according to the website.

Heather Turnbull, a member of the theater, told local news that she hopes the kids attending the summer camp were empowered by the support the community showed on Tuesday.

"Everyone has the freedom to believe in what they believe in—especially the kids—and to do what they want to do and be who they want to be. It’s all about love and freedom and creativity. Obviously, everyone here really supports that and it’s just a beautiful thing to see,” Turnbull said.

But not everyone is sharing that opinion. A petition is being circulated that states “Instead of learning genuine skills, making new friends, and enjoying the warmer summer months, the Carousel Theatre wants to keep pushing the same dangerous gender ideology at kids by having drag queens dress them up in drag.”

Another wrote:

“Summer camps should provide a safe and supportive environment for children to learn and grow, where they can learn new skills, make new friends, and enjoy being kids. It should not be a place where children are groomed toward accepting a specific political ideology, especially one that teaches it is morally acceptable and normal for individuals to dress in drag.

While there is nothing wrong with teaching kids the fundamentals of dramatic arts, I am not okay with the normalization of dressing children in drag. Cross-dressing in drag is explicitly a sexual act and one that endangers children's well-being. They know full well how they identify, either as a boy or a girl. Suggesting otherwise will only lead to further confusion and unhappiness.

Because of the mental and emotional damage this camp will cause, please cancel this summer camp and stop promoting a confusing lifestyle to impressionable young minds.”

Concerned community members arrived to protest the summer camp on July 4th, the first day of the camp, and were met by counterprotesters that came to defend the theater.

This is not the first time the theatre has made headlines for controversial issues. In 2020, they fired their Artistic Director, Carole Higgins, over allegations of harassment and bullying.

City council member Christine Boyle applauded Carousel Theatre for its inclusivity and told the outlet, "It’s sad that this is still a debate that we’re having, but incredibly inspiring to see so many people show up on the side of love and belonging."

"I hope that kids can just show up and be themselves and explore and play and be creative and be all of the parts of themselves without having to fear for their safety or feel like they have to be any smaller than they are," she added.

Before the summer camp officially started, Carousel Theatre defended the drag summer camp on Instagram and wrote, "Consider the way your child might already interact with costumes, clothes and makeup. Drag is a non-judgmental space for kids to understand that these things can be fun for all genders."