Canadian party leader Maxime Bernier tweeted a screenshot of a youth theater company’s Drag Summer Camp webpage, where two classes offered for “juniors” and “teens” are being advertised.
According to the webpage for the theater, juniors range from ages 7 to 11 while kids 12 to 17 can enroll in the teen division.
The event description reads, “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!”
It goes on to justify its offering for children. “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 info says more details will be made closer to the start date, but all attendees will receive a “drag makeup starter kit”.
Bernier tweeted the screenshot alongside a message of disbelief.
“This is utterly disgusting,” he said. “Camps indoctrinating kids as young as 7 with gender ideology and sexual confusion are now being promoted and subsidized by all government levels.”
The Carousel Theatre is supported by various cities, provinces, and the national government with taxpayer funds. For example, data shows it received almost $300,000 in federal funding.
Twitter users responded with their own criticism of the program.
Andrew Fisher responded, “I thought that “pray-the-gay-away” camps were illegal in Canada now? So why are “prey-the-gay-in” camps allowed?”
But some supporters spoke out in defense. Journalist Shaun Proulx responded, “They’re playing bloody dress up and lip synching, you fear monger. They aren’t being groomed by pedophiles, they aren’t being corrupted, they are having fun and learning that diversity isn’t the enemy you keep trying to groom Canada into thinking.”
Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture in the US has a similar program, but it is limited to teenagers.
