Canada’s Heritage Ministry Says It Supports Drag Camp for Kids Aged 7–11

The Carousel Theatre hosting a drag camp for children in July 2023 receives funding from all levels of government.

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.

The theatre has received a combined $407,632 in federal funding since 2014, with $41,000 last year, according to government grants data. It also lists as sponsors on its website the B.C. provincial government and the Vancouver municipal government.

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.”

The theatre has received backlash over hosting the camp, staff told local publication Vancouver Is Awesome.  The theatre did not reply to The Epoch Times inquiry as of publication.

The theatre’s website says, “You might be wondering, is drag for kids?” It responds to the question: “Drag is for everyone!”

It is hosting a junior drag camp for ages 7–11 and a teen drag camp for ages 12–17 in July.

In a March 21 Facebook post, the theatre describes its drag camps: “Dig deep and find that inner queen, king, thing, and everything in between! Campers will spend a week exploring drag, drag history, and crafting their very own drag personas to put on a performance at the end of the week!”

The theatre says it also has a drag spring event for teens, including “a weekend of workshops and planning before returning two weeks later for a performance of their very own.”

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.

Drag story hours at public libraries and other venues have met with protest nationwide. Calgary passed a bylaw in March banning these protests near libraries and recreation centres.

Vancouver MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert tabled a private members’ motion titled Violence Against Drag Artists and Performers in the legislature last week, seeking for similar action against protests.

Some lawmakers in the United States have proposed legislation outlawing these performances.

Tennessee was the first to pass such a bill into law, in March. Other states are mulling the legislation, including Texas, where the Senate passed a bill last week that is now headed to the House.