I am a frequent vacationer to Laguna Beach, and I feel compelled to respond to Jennifer Zeiter’s letter in the June 9 edition of your publication.
Although I respect everyone’s feelings and give anyone credit for expressing their opinion, I detect a major bias in Ms. Zeiter’s letter. Did she or her parents take issue with Milton Burle or Flip Wilson, as Geraldine, donning dresses to entertain or make us laugh, including children? Since entertainment began, straight men have put on dresses as an entertainment form. By the way, women also engage in “drag” but frequently get left out of the conversation. Women in William Shakespeare’s plays were men.
In today’s polarized times, any gay man (I’m not even sure if they are gay) that puts on a dress for pure entertainment is demonized and accused of “indoctrinating” our children. Anyone that thinks a boy or girl aged 2-7 can make the connection between an entertaining and funny adult dressed in drag and “indoctrination” is ignorant. More like prejudice and hateful thinking come to mind. Trust me, drag queens have no interest in indoctrinating our children or other adults, for that matter.
Ms. Zeiter, please attend “Entre Nous” in Provincetown Mass., in October. I’m sure you will be shocked to learn that the men in dresses at this event are straight and married to women. It is not only gay men that put on dresses. Children are exposed to straight men in dresses at this event, and I don’t think little boys run home and tell their mothers that they want to be drag queens.
Are you pro-book banning too? Book banning promotes anarchy and has no place in our democracy. If you don’t want to send your children to “drag story time,” that is your choice but don’t try to take away my choice if I want to send mine. You can read books celebrating being straight, but no one can read books celebrating being queer. Really!
Good for you, Laguna Beach Art Museum! I’d also like to remind Ms. Zeiter that the gay/queer community also pay taxes, and their voices should be heard!.
“It’s time for our community to rally.” What exactly are you proposing? Should we burn drag queens at stake or drag them into the town center and dunk them like they did the witches of Salem? Relax. They only want to entertain and make us laugh.
James Garnett, Phoenix, Ariz.
