A group of concerned parents has launched a petition to stop the airing of "Generation Drag," a new documentary series about training children as drag queens. The show, set to air on Discovery+ in June 2022, is hosted and produced by supermodel Tyra Banks, who is not new to controversies.
The petition from The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property cited that "Generation Drag" promotes homosexuality, transgenderism, gender ideology, and all LGBTQ+ ideas as kids between the ages of eight to 18 years old are taught how to do their makeup, perform on stage, and bring out their inner diva.
The group said that these actions are an "unnatural vice" that children should never be exposed to as it "corrupts and demolishes" their innocence.
The campaign has received nearly 12,000 signatures as of press time. The show has also been generating a lot of reactions on social media, with some viewers expressing that they are going to cancel their Discovery+ subscription.
Is "Generation Drag" Grooming Kids?
Banks has said that she has such an admiration for young people who are "bravely navigating" a world that others might find hard to accept; that's why she produced "Generation Drag" for these kids. The series centers on five teenagers preparing for their Dragutante, a drag ball for budding performers who are encouraged to express themselves.
The cameras follow Jameson, Noah, Vinny, Bailey, and Nabela and their parents and siblings in their preparations before heading to the biggest event in Denver, Colorado, per Deadline. Banks said that "Generation Drag" highlights the tenacity of the teen drag queens in training. She was also moved by the support she saw from the parents and the rest of these kids' families.
However, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert said that the series involves grooming, a process by which the children's trust is gained for the purpose of abusing them later on. On social media, anti-LGBTQ+ proponents have called the series a form of child abuse.
Siri, define grooming. https://t.co/FeZ6GxedP0
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) April 29, 2022
Tyra Banks' Other Controversy
Banks has also produced "America's Top Model" and its other iterations worldwide. The show, which launched in 2003, was groundbreaking and was heralded for featuring young, beautiful women of all sizes, cultural backgrounds or races, and gender orientations.
However, after nearly two decades, some of the models who competed in the series have come out to accuse the show of abuse and activities that went against their personal beliefs and values. Some went as far as to call Banks a "domestic terrorist" who did the unthinkable to create good material, without regard for the contestant's opinion, feelings, and dignity, for the TV show, per BuzzFeed.
Banks responded by publishing a book where she addressed some of the poor decisions made on that show. With "Generation Drag," concerns about another exploitation for the sake of creating a TV series have come to light, especially with children involved; thus, the petition to cancel the series before it airs has been gaining momentum.
The CEO and executives of Discovery+ have not yet responded to the petition.
