The Pride flag flying at Red Bank borough hall earlier this month. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
While other locales have their knickers in a twist over LGBTQ issues, Red Bank is going all-in with a “family friendly” drag queen event in celebration of Pride month.
Drag queen Harmonica Sunbeam reads to toddlers at the Red Bank Public Library in June, 2022. Below, parks and rec Director Oscar Salinas at Sunday’s Juneteenth celebration. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
The borough’s parks and rec department has scheduled a “Drag Queen Open Mic” for Friday, June 30, in Riverside Gardens Park, department Director Oscar Salinas confirmed to redbankgreen Sunday.
The event, featuring professional performers Blake Perry, Kimmy Sumony and Franxesca, is “an addition to Pride month” rather than a political statement, Salinas said.
“It’s going to be family-friendly,” he said. “This isn’t one of those late-night shows at a bar.”
Salinas likened the event to the two “Drag Queen Story Hour” sessions for children at the Red Bank Public Library held in June, 2022.
The first, with little publicity, attracted a handful of protesters who shouted “pedophile” and other slurs at patrons as they arrived for the event.
Following news of the protest, the second reading drew a packed room of supporters, including parents and toddlers, who listened as drag queen Harmonica Sunbeam read stories about a spoon, a goose and kindness.
Salinas said the upcoming event was suggested to the parks and rec advisory committee by an organization he declined to identify.
“It started as an idea, and I started getting some people involved, and I said, let’s try it, let’s see how it goes,” he said. “As parks and rec director, I want to be more inclusive with everybody.”
“Other towns are doing this, and I figured Red Bank can do it,” Salinas said. “I understand that it is controversial, and we’ll take feedback from the community. Right now, I’m getting feedback, some negative, but for the most part I’m getting a lot of positive feedback.
“We have to take into account what the community is about. This is one of the things parks and rec is here for,” he said. “It may not be something we do every year. We’re just trying it out.”.
The entity is fully funding the expenses, so no money will come from the department budget, he said. Borough police will provide security, he said.
“Our police can provide a safe environment,” Mayor Billy Portman told redbankgreen, “and I’m thrilled with the event – it sounds great to me.”
He said it was “disheartening” when the angry rhetoric heard elsewhere “creeps into our little town. But we have to stand tall and proud about who we are and what is right.”
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