Bree Maddox, the owner of Perth’s The Court Hotel, has taken to the airwaves to defend the City of Perth’s Drag Story Time event.
6PR’s breakfast show with Steve Mills and Basil Zempilas asked listeners for their thoughts on the event being hosted by the City of Perth.
The Australian Christian Lobby has launched a campaign against the event and Liberal Senator Matt O’Sullivan has also called for the event to be cancelled describing it as “wildly inappropriate”.
Host Steve Mills said he had no problem with the event, saying it would be viewed as kids as colourful dress-ups, but a listener had written in sharing their concern about the event.
“It’s more weird to have a Fat Cat coming out to read a book.” Mills said sharing that he’d grown up loving performers like Danny LaRue and attending pantomime with men performing as women.
Bree Maddox joined the conversation saying she felt it was important that children are exposed to difference. The mother of two, said she was fully supportive of the event.
“I think it’s really important that we expose our kids to differences in people from a young age, that way when they do come across it as they get older, it’s normal and they celebrate and are accepting diversity rather than being sheltered from it.” Maddox said it.
The owner of The Court Hotel said her own children had been exposed to drag performers for years.
Host Steve Mills said it would probably be more frightening when a politician on the campaign trail sits in front of small children to read a book.
Former Queen of The Court and poster-girl for the story time event, Perri Oxide, says she was shocked when she was made aware of the calls from the ACL.
“I had just finished doing some volunteer performing at a local aged care home with a gaggle of other queens, all giving our time on a Monday. I was sent this ‘article’ by a fan, on Instagram, as we were leaving the event and to say I was gagged is a touch of an understatement,” Oxide told OUTinPerth.
“I’m a drag queen, so being over-dramatic is in my contract, but honestly at that moment, I felt shattered. Especially after being on such a buzz after entertaining a group of people that were so excited, so grateful and being responsive! Just to have this murky, self-important, unholy, weak as water ‘article’ thrown all over it.”
“My main goal and job is to entertain, be funny and look absolutely gorgeous, in any situation I’m put into. I’m a trained performer and have worked on Perri and her entire character for 5 years.”
OIP Staff
