Shaun Frederickson: “They are spinning the drag show to say it’s inclusive. That’s preposterous."

On September 12 Encinitas Union School District sent an email to all district parents advertising a “family-friendly” drag show for their kids, setting off a month-long firestorm of complaints that led to a protest at the district board meeting October 11.

The subject line read “School Announcements and Opportunities for Your Child,” and the email included flyers for a math enrichment program, art workshops, and a robotics club, alongside the drag show event. Public records obtained by San Diego attorney Paul Jonna on behalf of parents show 38 people emailed district superintendent Andree Grey and school principals objecting to the drag show flyer.

Justin Ried asked principal Jodi Greenberger, “Does ECC think drag shows are appropriate for grades K-6?”

One person wrote to defend it. The Ocean Knoll Elementary mother wrote Grey, “There is a population in our community that I am sure would appreciate a Queer and Trans event.”

Justin Ried, an El Camino Creek Elementary father and candidate for Encinitas Union school board, asked principal Jodi Greenberger, “Does ECC think drag shows are appropriate for grades K-6?” Greenberger did not answer his question but suggested he could opt out of receiving flyers and pointed to a disclaimer that flyers are not endorsed by the school district. Ried asked Grey the same question. She didn’t answer either but wrote back about being inclusive.

A La Costa Heights Elementary mother wrote principal Christie Kay, “I’m all about inclusivity but this is gross.” The mother then wrote the district office, “My husband and I are considering pulling our daughter out…THAT is how upset we are.” Grey responded with the same line about being inclusive. The mother replied, “Our community does not need excuses on how this is what you consider being inclusive, because it is not, this type of flyer being sent to elementary-aged kids’ parents is perverse.”

Another La Costa Heights mother wrote Grey, “It is very scary and disturbing to think that anyone working with children would think this is okay.” An El Camino Creek Elementary mother asked, “Why would EUSD think it appropriate to promote an event with sexualized content to families with elementary-aged children? As you may assume, I was horrified when reading the flyer that was sent to me by my children’s school.”

Many parents were confused because the school their child attends was named as the email sender, even though such flyers are approved and sent by the district office through an information portal called Peachjar.

One Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary father asked, “How in any way is this ‘family-friendly’?” Another wrote, “Subjecting kids to a drag show at this age is not responsible.” A third Olivenhain father stated, “Clear thinking people know there is nothing wholesome or valuable about having young children attend a drag show. The only way a flyer like that ends up in an elementary school announcement is if there is an agenda.”

An Encinitas mother wrote Grey, “Drag is not appropriate for children, even if it’s labeled ‘family-friendly’ – just as a ‘family-friendly’ strip show featuring dancers from Cheetahs wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Ried says Grey visited El Camino Creek on September 16 for a Superintendent Chat and several parents expressed concern about the drag show flyer to her. He says, “I walked up to Grey to introduce myself and let her know a lot of parents are upset, some even thinking of protesting outside the district office. She laughed and replied, ‘Been there, done that,’ as if it was no big deal.”

The offending flyer

Spearheaded by parents with the Freedom Revival movement, the protest at the October 11 district board meeting made local and national news. A New York Post headline quoted an accusation that board members are “groomers.”

No current board member responded to my question about the appropriateness of drag shows for children. Those up for re-election November 8 are Emily Andrade, Raquel Pfeifer, and Marla Strich.

Justin Ried says he and two other challengers, Andre Johnson and Thomas Angel, are like-minded voices who want to protect children. This “Parents Choice Trio” is being marketed by parents as the anti-groomer slate. The top three vote winners from all six candidates will get the three open seats on the board of five.

Freedom Revival co-founder Shaun Frederickson, a father of three, says, “They are spinning the drag show to say it’s inclusive. That’s preposterous. Those in favor talked about equity and inclusion. It’s not a discussion about trans kids that makes people so irate – it’s a grown man dancing sexually, stripping half-naked and spreading his legs in front of elementary children. Not a single person in favor mentioned that. It’s easier to just say you’re inclusive. But it’s child abuse.”

Anti-groomer candidates

Neither Grey nor the San Diego Sheriff’s Department responded to answer whether or not performing a drag show before children would be investigated as potential child abuse or whether mandated reporters have a duty to report such an incident. The district has taken down the drag show flyer from Peachjar.

Frederickson adds, “You have people on the right and the left who are more outspoken and you have a bunch of people in the middle who are too afraid to say anything.” The parents who emailed the district to object outnumbered those in support by a ratio of 38-to-1, while that ratio at the board meeting protest was closer to 4-to-1.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who represents Encinitas, tweeted that the parents protesting the drag show for kids “should be ashamed of themselves for pushing hate and intolerance on all of us.” She added that she will be taking her three-year-old son to the event. The “family-friendly” drag show is part of Boo Bash, a queer Halloween party in Hillcrest on October 29, the same day Frederickson is hosting a Freedom Revival event at Waterfront Park downtown San Diego.