School staff receive death threats over false drag queen sex education claims
LGBTQ+ supporters and anti-fascists counter-protest an anti-drag demonstration in London.(Getty)
Teachers at an Isle of Man school have reportedly received death threats over false reports that a drag queen led an “inappropriate” sex-education class.
Staff at Queen Elizabeth II School (QEII) claimed that, following the allegations, they were subject to abuse, including “threats to turn up at the school, demands for staff to be dismissed [and] for people to be arrested and executed”, The Guardian reported.
It was claimed that a drag queen had delivered a sex-education talk in September, which included graphic photos and details on sexual behaviour. It was also alleged that the drag queen asked a child to leave the class when the student said there were “only two genders”.
An investigation into the incident, published on Tuesday (21 March), found that the allegations were almost entirely false.
“The investigation found that no one was dressed in drag, the speaker concerned did not deliver a sex-education talk and they did not ask a pupil to leave the room during a discussion on gender identities,” the Isle of Man government report stated.
The three-stage, independent investigation found the claims to be inaccurate, and that they had had a “detrimental impact” on school staff.
The report found that there had been a talk on “gender-neutral language and the concept of gender in the LGBTQ+ environment” by a guest speaker, but that neither sex nor sex education were mentioned.
A student had been taken out of the talk by a teacher, but it was due to a “behaviour” issue.
Education minister Julie Edge told Isle of Man parliament: “Public references to a drag queen delivering a session at a drop-down day at QEII in September 2022 are inaccurate, but it is understood that the guest speaker referred to does occasionally perform as a drag artist.”
Edge said that “a number of pieces of the information have been conflated and misrepresented”.
She continued: “There have been malicious accusations and comments, which continue to be received by our staff and myself directly through emails, letters, telephone calls and shared across social media platforms, and they have continued to have a detrimental impact upon many individuals.
“This has been an extremely difficult time for everyone involved with QEII. I would like to thank all staff at [the] school for their professionalism under intense personal pressure.”
Edge went on to say that parents should feel able to raise concerns about any aspect of their child’s education.
“The facts established reveal there has been misrepresentation of what took place. I am pleased we are now able to dispel the inaccuracies,” she concluded.
It comes as far-right groups increasingly target child-friendly drag performances.
In February, hundreds turned out to defend a London drag event for kids from a far-right protests
In the same month, a Drag Queen Story Hour event at the Tate Britain gallery saw clashes between far-right conspiracy theorists and LGBTQ+ groups.
PinkNews has contacted the school for comment.
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