ORLANDO | Parents from Boone High School received an automated phone call March 22 from the school principal notifying them that the afterschool event “Drag & Donuts with Momma Ashley Rose” had been cancelled. This was to be the third year for this event, which was organized by the school’s Queer and Ally Alliance club.
The parent of a senior Boone High School student, who has attended this same event in the past, says that in the phone call Principal Hector Maestre addressed how the Department of Education contacted the school and questioned the appropriateness of the event and if it held any educational value.
The parent, who asked not to be identified by name in the story, says the call stated that any faculty, administrator or staff member involved with the event would be investigated and possibly lose their teaching license if the event were to occur.
“I’m pretty heartbroken and disappointed that the state is politicizing this event and taking such an aggressive stance,” the parent said. “These teens—who are really trying to just be their authentic selves—are being hurt, not helped.”
Drag & Donuts was meant to be an after-school event for students to meet with a drag queen and ask any questions they might about the art of drag or gender identity. Rose says she planned on talking to students about her personal journey as a queer person, drag culture and all about loving and accepting each other.
“They [usually] ask how to deal with parents or people that are not accepting. It’s very important for these queer people and allies to know and hear from people that are just like them,” Rose says.
The controversy behind Drag & Donuts was started by the Orange County School Board’s District 3 member Alicia Farrant. Farrant took to Facebook voicing her opposition to the event.
“I do not condone this type of event. We need to be raising the standard of excellence in our schools and helping students excel academically, not inviting drag queens in to eat donuts with our children,” Farrant said in a Facebook post.
Earlier this week, Rose attended the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” expansion meeting, where she says state Sen. Clay Yarborough assured attendees that after-school, student-led programs would not be affected. But despite Yarborough’s assurance, Rose says Farrant’s Facebook post caused an uproar and acted as a catalyst for the cancellation of the Drag & Donuts event.
“I was shocked and dismayed today to learn that the third annual Drag and Donuts event with Boone High School QAA was abruptly cancelled when the Florida Department of Education threatened to strip the licenses of any teacher, administrator or staff having any involvement with this totally voluntary, student-led, after-school event,” Rose said in an official statement.
Rose says Maestre was kind and apologetic about the cancellation but explained that he had no choice in the matter. She says she found out the administration had started receiving death threats called into the school.
“This is clearly an attack on the LGBTQ community and harmful to our queer youth and their families … This is a dangerous path we are heading down, and we should all be concerned about the threat to our rights and those of our most vulnerable family, friends and neighbors,” Rose said in an official statement. “At the end of the day, I find it very hard to believe that the greatest threat to our children in school is a drag queen spreading the message that you’re loved, accepted and wanted no matter who you are.”
Rose says the community is doing everything possible to continue events like these, but the best way to show support is by donating to queer organizations like Rose Dynasty.
“We’re contacting our politicians. We’re contacting the government. We’re speaking, but apparently, most of them are not listening,” Rose says. “So, the next step is for parents and people to continue to use their voice and unite together and hopefully, somebody will eventually listen.”
