Adam Lambert’s comments that U.S. lawmakers are “using children as an excuse” to discriminate against drag queens and members of the LGBTQ+ community has sparked outrage online.
Drag queens have become a talking point on social media and across the political spectrum. and from being performed in public or in front of children.
Much of the backlash has been linked to a focus on transgender people. This was heightened in recent weeks after was sent a personalized can from Bud Light as she commemorated 365 days of her living as a woman.
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Queen singer Lambert, 41, released a video over the weekend in which he took aim at those . He later appeared at the “Drag Isn’t Dangerous” livestream telethon on Sunday. The event raised more than $500,000 for LGBTQ+ charities. These included groups fighting anti-drag legislation in such states as Florida and Tennessee.
“Drag is joy. It’s a celebration of all the things that make queer people who we are,” Lambert said in the video posted on social media. “Drag is an amazing way to bring light to the world. And these lawmakers are terrified of just how brightly we’re shining. They’re using children as an excuse to take one more thing away from us.”
“Well, they’re clearly threatened that we are living our truth, that we aren’t apologizing for it anymore,” Lambert added. “And, using the children as this tool against us, it doesn’t make any sense. If they cared about children, they would care about all children.
“These laws could be very easily manipulated in order to target and punish people in our community. So let’s come together and protect our drag entertainers in our community and protect the freedom of speech that we all have a right to in this country.”
British influencer Oli London, who , gender-neutral and transgender, on Twitter—sparking a flood of outraged comments aimed at the singer.
“Children are not excuses or tools,” . “They are precious and innocent and our future.”
: “These people can’t understand how vile they are when they perform adult sexual content in front of children!!”
“Nobody’s trying to take anything away,” “Have your shows but quit trying to make children a part of your audience and encouraging them to participate. Drag shows are adult entertainment only. Do your thing and leave the children out of it.”
A number of other users defended Lambert’s stance, with one supporter the musician as “the stupidest things I have ever read.”
“Adam Lambert has always stood up for his [LGBTQ+] community and being true to himself and his beliefs, even in the face of cruelty and hatred,” “He is kind and humble to a fault and I greatly admire him for this level of integrity and compassion just as much as for his insane talent.”
“Adam Lambert is trending and I’m trying to convince myself that having his name out there in anyway is good but it’s really hard considering all of the horrid tweets the are contributing to this trend. He put his neck on the chopping block for his community AGAIN. We owe him.”
During the “Drag Isn’t Dangerous” telethon, RuPaul’s Drag Race judge criticized the state legislatures taking aim at drag performances.
“I wish I could say that I am glad to be here, but I am appalled I have to be at something called Drag Isn’t Dangerous,” Visage said, per Billboard. “Imagine a world where dancers are told they can’t dance; imagine a world where artists are told they cannot take paint to canvas… because it is ‘bad for children.’ That is what is happening to drag right now.”
The event also also included testimonials from LGBTQ+ entertainers and allies, including Charlize Theron, Sarah Silverman, Melissa McCarthy and Margaret Cho.
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