Pastor Leads Protest Against ‘Nasty’ Christmas Event
In Bakersfield, California, a local pastor, Angelo Frazier, led a group of hundreds of protesters from various churches to voice their opposition to a touring Christmas-themed drag show, “A Drag Queen Christmas.” The show, which features drag queens from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” has been running for nine consecutive years and is currently touring 38 cities.
Pastor Frazier, who leads RiverLakes Community Church, described the event as “naughty” and “perversion,” citing its “sexual language” and “naughty comedy.” He argues that the show was “sexualizing Christmas” and that it was inappropriate for children and families.
“The message of Christmas is good will and great joy for all people,” Frazier said. “This, what’s happening here in Bakersfield, is a perversion of Christmas.” The pastor felt it was his duty as a Christian to speak out against the event.
During the protest, Frazier addressed the crowd, emphasizing that their opposition was not rooted in hate but in a desire to offer a better way. The protest included singing Christmas carols and praying outside the Fox Theater, where the show was being held.
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Last year’s tour of “A Drag Queen Christmas” sparked controversy when footage appeared to show small children attending performances that featured simulated sex, lewd dancing, sexually explicit stories and a man with prosthetic breasts being spanked. The event’s organizers, Drag Fans, state that “all ages are welcome unless otherwise noted on the marketing, the ticket, or the venue website in each local city.”
In Florida, state regulators and the Hyatt Regency Miami reached a settlement regarding a dispute about minors attending a performance of the show at the hotel last year. The hotel agreed to pay a fine and to prohibit minors from attending any performance that “contains, depicts, or simulates any activities” that violate Florida’s lewdness statutes.
As Christians, we are called to live righteous lives according to the Bible. Although God loves all people, we are encouraged to stand for what is right and to be a light in the darkness. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, the Word of God states:
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God.”
The protest led by Pastor Angelo Frazier demonstrates the concerns of Christians about the sexualization of Christmas and the potential impact on children and families. As believers, we are called to love one another, but also to stand for righteousness and to live according to God’s Word.{eoa}
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.