ELY- A source requesting anonymity told the Timberjay that a group opposed to drag shows will protest the “Disney Drag Brunch” at the Grand Ely Lodge on Saturday, April 22. Ely Police Chief Chad Houde confirmed that “we have been informed that a group of people intend to hold a peaceful protest across the street from the Grand Ely Lodge on public property.” The Grand Ely Lodge politely informed the Timberjay that it had no comment.
The object of the protest are two Disney-themed drag shows, both on Saturday, staged by Flip Phone Events. This same production company held two previous sold out drag shows at the Grand Ely Lodge last year in August and December.
Saturday’s 2 p.m. show, which is advertised for ages 21 and up, is already sold out. As the Timberjay went to press on Wednesday, tickets were still available for the 11 a.m. show, which is billed as appropriate for all ages.
Bob Dalberg, the pastor of Berean Baptist Church near Ely, encouraged the protest of the popular production company and its drag shows in a letter published earlier this month in the Ely Echo.
“Drag is an assault upon the glory of womanhood by mocking them with an oversexualized, perverted performance by men,” Dalberg wrote. He also made some commonly-voiced, anti-drag and anti-trans arguments that the shows were contrary to biblical teachings on gender roles, and that the performers were “perverted men clowning as women in order to sexually groom children.”
Dalberg said on April 14, on the conservative Christian QFM podcast out of Bemidji, that the first drag show in Ely was snuck into town “by stealth,” that it wasn’t advertised around town, but only on Facebook. He didn’t appear to be aware that a second sold-out drag show brunch was held in December. He also admitted in the podcast that he did not use Facebook.
“This time they are coming with a direct aim at the kids,” Dalberg stated. He also said, “I haven’t gotten any pushback from the local community.” He remarked that the community response so far was silent.
Dalberg also said on the podcast that another northern Minnesota pastor would be “organizing some people being there that day (Saturday), and people are welcome to come and pray with us out front.”
Both newsprint and social media comments on the drag brunch and Dalberg’s letter have been mixed, depending on the choice of Twitter feeds, sub-Reddits and Facebook groups.
A pointed rebuttal to Dalberg’s letter on Facebook came from Flip Phone show director Sasha Cassadine, who protested, “The only thing I’m interested in grooming is my wigs, costumes and make-up. Why are folks always throwing the bible into things to spread hate. And folks wonder why people run away from religion.”
One local Ely wit who requested his name be withheld remarked, “Drag shows are really not my thing, but now I’m tempted to go just out of spite. The only thing more perverse about drag shows are the people freaking out about drag shows.”