Canada’s heritage ministry says it supports a drag summer camp for kids aged as young as 7 in Vancouver, B.C. The camp, hosted by the Carousel Theatre for Young People, will have children dress in drag, with “drag makeup starter kits” provided.
The Carousel Theatre is sponsored by the Government of Canada, so The Epoch Times asked the heritage ministry how it responds to critics who say drag camp is not suitable for children and shouldn’t be government-funded.
“The Department of Canadian Heritage is committed to advancing inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. We support inclusive and equitable artistic and cultural experiences for all ages and backgrounds, such as those offered by the Carousel Theatre for Young People,” the ministry said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times on April 11.
“The Government of Canada values 2SLGBTQI+ rights as human rights and upholds the values of diversity and inclusion as key to building a better and more prosperous Canada for everyone,” it said.
Backlash
Maxime Bernier, Peoples’ Party of Canada leader, said in a tweet on March 31: “This is utterly disgusting. Camps indoctrinating kids as young as 7 with gender ideology and sexual confusion are now being promoted and subsidized by all government levels.”It is hosting a junior drag camp for ages 7–11 and a teen drag camp for ages 12–17 in July.
Other Drag Events for Kids
It isn’t the first children’s drag camp in Vancouver. The Havana Theatre hosted one in 2019. It was the first all-ages drag camp in the city, according to the theatre.Some lawmakers in the United States have proposed legislation outlawing these performances.