“A Fool’s Drag Race” premiered on WTaMU on March 31.
President Walter Wendler of West Texas A&M University canceled a performance because he believes that drag shows are sexist.
As of Monday, Wendler informed everyone at the institution via email that the March 31 charity drag show would not be happening as planned. The first charity to benefit from the show’s proceeds was the non-profit group The Trevor Project, which provides aid to transgender persons.
An Innocent Drag Show, It Asks. Wendler defended his decision to donate to the organization, but he also expressed concern that the ladies might be negatively impacted by attending drag events. Not.
Are there any redeeming qualities of a drag show? It doesn’t make any sense to me. To get laughs from the audience, drag shows often emphasize traditionally female characteristics like sensuality, femininity, and gender. In doing so, harmful stereotypes about men and women are perpetuated. According to Wendler, throwing a party that symbolically mocks another individual or group is unacceptable behavior.
When asked about the negative impacts of drag shows, he compared them to those of blackface.
Even if someone were to convince me that wearing blackface was a kind of protected free expression or a harmless type of comedy, as president of our institution I could not in good faith approve of such activity. So, to put it another way: you’re wrong about everything. “I don’t like events, performances, or art that make fun of other people, especially women,” he said.
Wendler said, “For over two hundred years, progressive males and females have collaborated to eliminate sexism. Over many decades, women have fought for and won the right to vote, equal pay, and the same social position as men. Putting up a comedic presentation that demeans women is insensitive and only serves to increase their discomfort.
Do I need to get over my chauvinist tendencies, such as regarding women as objects?
Wendler stood firm on his commitment that all students would be given “fair opportunities” to succeed at his institution.
Everyone in West Texas should have the chance to succeed in life based on their abilities. Our currency is not a certain ideology but rather the concept of thought. So that all Texans might benefit from higher education, he argued, “an implacable and exacting standard based on educational mission and service to all, sanctioned by the legislature, the governor, and a large number of elected and appointed officials” is necessary. In [West Texas], everybody works hard to treat each other fairly. Regardless of intent, a drag show will always promote sexism, cause friction, and devalue women. It’s counterproductive to the goals of the West Texas region to act in such a way.
A group of students who were offended by Wendler’s email organized a petition to get the activity reinstated.
According to the petition, this representation of drag culture and performance art was not only disrespectful but also a distorted and incorrect depiction of these two distinct subcultures.
More demonstrations for transgender rights will take place each day this week on college campuses, and one already took place.
A lot of people who didn’t like Wendler thought that her breaking the rules at school was just another way to get rid of her. As stated in the petition, university policy states that no measures shall be taken against a student organization or any benefit thereto which is generally available to other student organizations at the university based on the political, religious, philosophical, ideological, academic, or academic viewpoint expressed by the organization or any expressive activities.