‘A harmless drag show? Not possible’: WT President denounces drag shows on campus

Canyon, Texas (KFDA) - In an email sent to current students, faculty and staff at West Texas A&M University, President Walter Wendler announced that a planned drag show will not take place on the University’s campus.

The email began with the subject line “A Harmless Drag Show? No Such Thing.”

The president went on to say that a drag show that was planned for March 31, 2023 will not be hosted on campus. The show was planned to raise money for “The Trevor Project”, an organization that focuses on suicide prevention for the LGBTQ+ community.

Does a drag show preserve a single thread of human dignity? I think not. As a performance exaggerating aspects of womanhood (sexuality, femininity, gender), drag shows stereotype woman in cartoon-like extremes for the amusement of others and discriminate against womanhood. Any event which diminishes an individual or group through such representation is wrong. I registered a similar concern on campus when individuals debased Latinas regarding a quinceañera celebration. Should I let rest misogynistic behavior portraying women as objects? While I am not a woman, my best friend I have been married to for over a half-century is. I am also blessed to have daughters-in-law and granddaughters. Demeaning any demeans all. This is not an intellectual abstraction but a stark reality.
West Texas A&M University Office of the President release

“He is the president of a university and he should be looking out for what’s best for the student body rather than him and his own personal beliefs,” said one student at West Texas A&M University.

The Office of the President released a statement on equal treatment students receive on campus,

WT endeavors to treat all people equally. Drag shows are derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent. Such conduct runs counter to the purpose of WT. A person or group should not attempt to elevate itself or a cause by mocking another person or group. As a university president, I would not support “blackface” performances on our campus, even if told the performance is a form of free speech or intended as humor. It is wrong. I do not support any show, performance or artistic expression which denigrates others—in this case, women—for any reason. WT intends to provide fair opportunities to all based on academic performance. Ideas, not ideology, are the coin of our realm. A university campus, charged by the state of Texas to treat each individual fairly, should elevate students based on achievement and capability, performance in a word, without regard to group membership—an implacable and exacting standard based on educational mission and service to all, sanctioned by the legislature, the governor and numerous elected and appointed officials.
West Texas A&M University Office of the President release

However, some students at the protest were grateful for the email.

“I agree with the president and I think that it’s great that he stood his ground and he’s representing a lot of the voices that are scared to speak,” says Iveth Aguilera, student at West Texas A&M University.

The President says, “Mocking or objectifying in any way members of any group based on appearance, bias or predisposition is unacceptable.”

“A harmless drag show? Not possible. I will not appear to condone the diminishment of any group at the expense of impertinent gestures toward another group for any reason, even when the law of the land appears to require it. Supporting The Trevor Project is a good idea,” said the release by WT President Walter Wendler. “My recommendation is to skip the show and send the dough.”

Others find his email bigoted.

“He has a very misconstrued perception of what drag is as a culture as a performance art. And we consider his comments to be rather abhorent,” says K Klein, secretary of spectrum and student at WT.

WT President Walter Wendler ends the release with, ”Offering respect, not ridicule, is the order of the day for fair play and is the WT way. And equally important, it is the West Texas way.”

We will continue to provide updates on this story.

Read the full statement below:

WT Office of the President, Walter Wendler release statement on drag show — WT Office of the President, Walter Wendler release statement on drag show(Source: West Texas A&M University)

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