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Laguna Art Museum Website, Morning June 2, 2023
This is a screenshot taken the morning of June 2, 2023, showing the wording on which we based our blog and letters-to-the-editors. Notice the museum’s promise to give kids “glamorous, positive and unabashedly gay role models” and celebrate “people who defy rigid gender restrictions.” Also note that one of the promised readings is “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish-Swish-Swish.”
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Laguna Art Museum Website - Afternoon, June 2, 2023
Within hours of our blog post on June 2, the museum had taken down their original post, given it a different address on their site, removed the book “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish-Swish-Swish” from Pickle the Drag Queen’s reading agenda and significantly watered down the description of the event, taking out all references to defying gender restrictions and presenting unabashedly gay role models.
Protest and Aftermath
During the event on June 17, a small and peaceful protest took place (it was not organized by the GLBGOP, but some of our members did attend). The Laguna Art Museum removed the book title “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish-swish-swish”off their website description, yet Pickle the drag queen DID read the book to the very young children and parents at the event. Does this sound to you like an appropriate activity for a city-funded art museum? If not, use the contact information below to encourage them to make better choices in future programming.
Contact the Laguna Art Museum and Express Yourself. Let them know if you are a member!
Click Here: Laguna Art Museum Email or Call: (949) 494-8971
Contact the Laguna Beach City Council (again, the City provides financial support for the Museum). Click Here: Laguna Beach City Council Email
Finally, see this excellent Free Laguna article covering the protest.