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Pride Month drag show held on City Hall steps
The City of East Point hosted a drag show at City Hall in honor of Pride Month. It was met with some pushback from some members of the community.
EAST POINT, Ga. - The City of East Point hosted a drag show at City Hall Saturday night in honor of pride month. The show, however, was met with pushback from some members of the area.
"Drag is an entertainment, and that's all it is," drag performer Charlie Brown said. "We entertain."
Brown and several other Atlanta-based drag queens performed at the show put on by the City of East Point and the Atlanta Eagle Saturday night on the steps of City Hall.
"LGBQTIA+ community is a part of the culture of the city of East Point, so we try to celebrate everyone here in East Point," Christopher Swain, Public Art Coordinator for the city of East Point, said.
"It's so entertaining, so much fun. Some people like it some people don't, and that's ok. It's not for everyone," Richard Ramey, owner of the Atlanta Eagle, added.
Hundreds came out to see the performance, while a small group of others spoke out against the show being held on city property in their community.
"I live in the area, so I heard about it and I go 'I'm gonna come out.' I'm a conservative person, I'm a minister, so I'm actually seeing with my own eyes the Bible coming to life where people are walking away from the church," Fred Smith said.
"It's gotten to the point where I feel like it's a tipping point," he added.
This comes as states like Tennessee work to pass legislation restricting drag performances in public spaces. Tennessee's so called anti-drag law was struck down by a federal judge earlier this month. Legislators say that law is meant to protect children.
But, organizers and performers hope attendees at Saturday's event walked away with smiles on their faces.
"I want them to take away just acceptance love and just recognize that people are people," Swain said.
"I know who God is, and I worship God daily. I accept them," Brown said. "Why can't they accept me?"