In yet another installment of the Republican War on Sensibility, a school district in Texas (shocking) has canceled a planned field trip for eight schools to attend a live performance of Roald Dahl’s children classic “James and the Giant Peach” over “concerns” that actors were portraying opposite gender roles. Apparently using eight actors to portray 20 same and opposite gender roles is just a bridge too far for the snowflakes on the Right.
Yes, really.
From LGBTQ Nation:
The Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) in Houston canceled nine schools’ scheduled field trips to see Main Street Theaters’ performance of the play. The theater described the play as being appropriate for students in the first grade and above.
Cheri Thomas, a parent who has a child in SBISD schools, told the news station that a parent at a recent school board meeting complained about actors playing male and female roles in the play, something called “cross-gender casting.”
In Main Street Theater’s version of James and the Giant Peach, about eight actors portray 20 characters. As a result, some of the actors play cross-gender roles.
Main Street Theaters’ marketing director Shannon Emerick said that theater has used cross-gender casting for thousands of years. It allows actors to demonstrate their different talents and allows theaters to reduce the number of actors required to produce a work.
THOUSANDS. Of. Years.
But suddenly it’s “grooming” because Republicans have gone totally, unequivocally, and completely insane over the mere existence of drag queens and transgender people, which as we all know are not even the same thing but try to explain that to a Fox News brainwashed Republican who thinks that little Johnny will see a cross-dressing actor on stage and suddenly they’ll want to transition.
All it took was the complaint of one single parent, who just ruined the experience for hundreds of children who were no doubt really looking forward to that field trip. Oh but it’s “inappropriate” for children to see men playing women and women playing men. We must shelter them for as long as possible lest they discover the existence of queer people.
As we all know about Republicans, being transgender is a fate worse than death. And I don’t think the kids are listening, with nearly 24.5% of teenagers identifying as non-heterosexual in recent polling
_____
”Just Giddy”
In other news Kansas House of Representatives Speaker Dan Hawkins (R) proclaims himself to be “Just giddy” at the vote to override Governor Laura Kelly’s (D) veto of S.B 180, which enacts some of the most draconian anti-transgender legislation in the country.
“Getting that women’s bill of rights was truly the icing on the cake,” Hawkins said after the body voted 84 to 41, mostly along party lines, to override Kelly’s veto. The state senate voted 28-12 to override her veto.
“Companies have made it clear that they are not interested in doing business with states that discriminate against workers and their families,” she said in a statement. “By stripping away rights from Kansans and opening the state up to expensive and unnecessary lawsuits, these bills would hurt our ability to continue breaking economic records and landing new business deals. I’m focused on the economy. Anyone care to join me?”
Well done, Kansas Republicans. Well done.
_____
Hey if you enjoy my comments and diaries won’t you consider joining my new Substack? It costs less than a cup of coffee because it’s FREE. And anything I write will arrive in your inbox with a nice shiny bow on top of it.
wokeaf.substack.com