Drag shows social media debate erupts in Hamilton community

A social media debate erupted in Hamilton this week over drag shows. It followed a negative comment made online by a local restaurant owner.

A recent post from the BBQ Bandits restaurant referred to a drag event as “weird stuff,” saying “we should think of next generation kids and what we represent. Plain wrong.”

Pride Hamilton called that post “hate speech,” “shameful,” and “disgusting.”

BBQ Bandits then posted an apology, saying “truly so sorry for offending the drag show, LGBTQ community.”

This kind of controversy has come up before.

Last November, protestors and supporters clashed outside a Hamilton library over objections to a “drag storytime” reading for children.

Mayor Andrea Horwath responded by restating the city’s priorities of diversity and inclusion, and saying “The actions of organized hate and discrimination … are unacceptable.”

The drag show organizers are thanking BBQ Bandits for their apology and offering them free tickets for their family whenever they want to go to one of the drag shows.