Michigan is at the center of an online controversy after a short video began circulating on X. The clip shows drag performers dancing near young children and appearing to accept tips during a Pride event held outside an elementary school in Grosse Pointe.
The video has set off a wave of anger from people who say what they are seeing has no place near kids.
The event was organized by Welcoming Everyone Grosse Pointe (WE-GP), a community-based nonprofit that says it provides opportunities for social engagement, community building, political engagement, and activism.
According to WE-GP, the 10th Annual Grosse Pointe Pride Celebration was designed as a family-friendly event focused on love, acceptance, and support for LGBTQ youth. The program included music, guest speakers, children’s activities, activism opportunities, and family-friendly drag performances.
The video shows performers in outfits including bodysuits, thongs, short skirts, and thigh-high boots dancing near young children in the school parking lot.
In one moment captured in the clip, a performer in a pink and green outfit appears to handle what looks like cash tips while dancing near a small child. Other shots show more performers in revealing outfits moving close to groups of kids, with the “Lewis E. Maire Elementary – A Blue Ribbon School of Excellence” banner visible on the building behind them.
The Nerd Stash could not independently verify the full context of what is depicted in the clip.
Internet Reacts to Drag Performers Accepting Tips From Children at Michigan Pride Event
The comments on the video have been harsh. One commenter wrote, “No this is NOT okay…this is child grooming…shame on all who allowed this…and what the heck are you thinking? This is completely unnecessary and does not belong in our schools!”
Another went further: “Every parent who took their child to this should be arrested for child abuse!” A third directed their frustration at school administrators: “Every school administrator that supports, plans and attends these grooming events need to have their pensions and teaching credentials stripped.”
One commenter called for wider action: “This must be stopped everywhere. It is not acceptable for ANY school public or private to groom children. America wake up!” A fifth added: “Also the parents that took the kids there are at fault too. You gotta be one sick weirdo to bring your kids to something like this.”
Neither WE-GP nor the Grosse Pointe Public School System has publicly responded to the backlash over this specific video at the time of publication.
Michigan has not yet seen statewide legislation targeting drag performances near minors, though the debate over where and how such events should take place shows no signs of cooling down.
