Defendants of a recently-canceled drag show at the Porter Expo Center and the LGBTQI+ community at large took to the microphone at Tuesday’s evening meeting of the Porter County Board of Commissioners.
The show of support came after organizers of the show canceled that portion of a larger event at the Expo Center following a barrage of threats over the last two weeks.
“I do agree there needs to be certain limitations on who is exposed to certain things and who is around the alcohol,” said Fran Fuller, of Valparaiso, who spoke first. “I just feel like there’s some education that needs to be done.”
Fuller gave a variety of statistics gleaned from multiple sources in counter to remarks made by citizens at the March 14 Board of Commissioners meeting that included accusations of pedophilia by drag queens. She first cited the website of the Indiana Center for the Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide that states more than 90% of abusers are people children know, love, and trust.
“Social media is 80% of where the sex crimes start. It’s not with the drag queens,” Fuller continued. She also quoted Crimes.org, Baptist News Global and AP News.
Commissioners President Jim Biggs, R-North, asked the crowd to be respectful when members of the audience interrupted Fuller to inquire what threats she was referring to.
Kathy Watts, of Valparaiso, spoke next, referring to the three children and three adults who had been gunned down in a Christian school in Tennessee earlier in the day.
She also explained that Tennessee was the first state to sharply curtail where drag shows can be held, banning them on public property and in places where they could be watched by minors. “Seems to me Tennessee isn’t doing a very good job of taking care of their children today,” Watts said. “And yet, in Porter County today we’re listening to people discussing whether or not we should bring a drag show to Porter County and allow children to attend, rather than tighter gun laws and protecting our children in school.”
Three other women spoke in favor of the drag show, including Kathy DeWitt, of Valparaiso, who wasn’t buying Biggs’s recent assertions that he was concerned about the mixing of minors and adults consuming alcohol at a public event. “You got to remember this isn’t a wedding reception,” Biggs told her. “This is open to the general public, so we don’t know who’s coming in there.”
“Except there was a drag show that was going to be happening,” DeWitt replied.
“Can you imagine how our liability jumps,” Biggs tried to continue.
“When there’s a drag show?” DeWitt interrupted.
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” he countered. “When we have an event out there that we open to the public, that we sanctioned, that says 13 and under are free, bring ‘em. Come on in. No mention of adults and we’re serving alcohol too. Imagine how the liability jumps on us.”
On that topic Valparaiso resident Rebecca Tomerlin said she expects equal treatment for all events. “I want consistency, so if we’re going to require wristbands for one group, we need to do it for all,” she said.
Porter County Attorney Scott McClure offered clarification for the crowd that the Board of Commissioners only has authority over the Expo Center and the Memorial Opera House so any consistency in alcohol policy could only be enforced there. Events held at Porter County Parks are under the authority of the Park Board, which while appointed by the Board of Commissioners, does not answer to it.
“You made a great point and I think where we get in trouble is where we’re inconsistent with our rules and regulations,” Biggs said to Tomerlin.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
