DENTON, TX – After receiving pushback from local families and grassroots activists, a North Texas restaurant canceled its “all ages” drag brunch originally scheduled for Sunday, September 11.
Cool Beans Bar and Grill, which advertises “drinks, debauchery, good people and lots o booze,” promoted their Disney-themed drag brunch as an “all ages” event with no cover charge. Drag queen Crystal Whitney was selected to host the event, with Ari, Juana D’Marko, and Genesis Mugler co-hosting.
Cool Beans also copied Disney’s logo and font for promotional materials, which some highlighted as potential copyright infringement.
Although the bar previously hosted 21+ drag shows, including a “Drag After Dark” event where patrons were encouraged to “Bring your $1s and come ready to party,” their Disney drag brunch was not age-restricted, opening the event up to families with children.
Many establishments advertise their drag shows as “family-friendly” and open to all ages, but children have been filmed at several similar events stuffing dollar bills into drag queens’ underwear. Earlier this year, a drag show at a Dallas gay bar featured children walking on stage with drag queens in front of a sign reading “It’s not gonna lick itself.”
Political commentator Sara Gonzales shared Cool Beans Bar and Grill’s Disney drag brunch on social media and called for citizens to “shut it down.”
Cool Beans Bar and Grill in Denton, TX is hosting an ALL AGES drag show THIS SUNDAY. Who’s coming with me to shut it down? pic.twitter.com/giaXh9umXr
— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) September 8, 2022
Gonzales’ spotlighting of the drag brunch spurred Texans to push back against the restaurant and request they increase the age restriction in order to prevent children from attending.
In response to the work of citizens and grassroots activists, Cool Beans Bar and Grill canceled the show, saying the drag brunch “caught a lot of attention from certain political groups who have made it clear that they aren’t happy about this event.”
Texas Family Project President Chris Hopper pointed to the cancelation as a win for parents and activists but encouraged Texans to continue paying attention to “family-friendly” drag shows.
If you ever thought conservative parents in Texas do not have a loud enough voice to impact Texas politics, let’s put that to rest right now.
“This is a win worth celebrating, but we must be careful. This is not the time to take our foot off the gas. We must put the pedal to the metal and continue the fight. Texas Family Project and our army of concerned parents will continue to fight the sexualization of children.”
Gonzales also praised Texans’ efforts and highlighted how citizen activism can prevent the sexualization of children at drag shows.
“I decided to use my platform to spread awareness and encourage members of the community to express their opinion on the matter,” said Gonzales. “The fact that this event was cancelled less than 24 hours after we exposed it is further proof that community involvement is not just helpful, but NECESSARY to winning the battle against the sexual indoctrination of our children.”
