Oxford-based production company T(ART) Productions hosts Drag Camps for children between 14-18 years old to "learn about the world of drag as a performance art" with the city of Oxford as a sponsor.
According to T(ART) Producations' website, the camp ran for five days starting August 7 with the aim to "spread a message of self-expression and acceptance."
As writer James Esses noted on X, the production company claims "to be age appropriate but their other materials are clearly anything but." He added the flyer to an event from June called, "The Phwoar Next Door," which shows a male drag queen putting his foot on top of a man in bondage gear.
An event that is currently listed on the website and scheduled for September 22 is titled "Toxic MasculiniTease" and is described as "a fun romp of satirical striptease."
Stephanie Davies-Arai from Transgender Trend questioned in an interview with the Daily Mail why the Oxford City Council would support this kind of event for children. "'Why is Oxford City Council encouraging children to participate in the world of adult entertainment?" she asked.
"The aim of queer activists is clear in the blurb: to subvert and destabilize boundaries, under the guise of being empowering for children," Davies-Arai continued. "Encouraging children to create a 'daring' stage persona means only one thing in the drag world: to push sexual boundaries. Blurring the boundaries between adult and child in this way is a safeguarding red flag."
T(ART) Productions says its goal is to "create inclusive, accessible events with a fun and campy twist." It states that it is a "queer* not-for-profit community company specializing in cabaret, arts, and social events and have been creating events for over seven years."
Children doing drag has become a controversial topic in recent years, with critics arguing that drag performances are inherently sexual and intend to get children to grow up with a focus on "queerness and queering culture." Many have also argued that drag shows marketed towards children are often used as an means to indoctrinate them with LGBT ideology, essentially starting a grooming process from a young age.
