JASPER — A drag show planned as part of Jasper's LGBTQ Pride Month festivities was canceled Wednesday over "safety and security" concerns, according to a Facebook post from Dubois County Pride.
The drag performance was supposed to be part of "Pride in the Park" on June 24 at Jasper’s Jaycee Park: an event designed to promote inclusivity and support for the area's LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month.
Dubois County Pride's Facebook post stated the decision to cancel the show, which organizers called family-friendly, was "jointly made" by its organization, City of Jasper officials and the community group ONE - Dubois County.
Neither Pride nor ONE responded to the Courier & Press's request for comment.
Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide, however, said the drag show was canceled after a "miscommunication" between the event organizers and the city's public works department — the entity that approves requests for public-parks use. That led to it not being included on the itineray for Pride in the Park.
"When we were informed of it, we didn't feel like we were prepared at that time to ensure anything without running it through our departments," Vonderheide said. "I don't know what I don't know. I don't claim to be an expert on family-friendly drag shows and I don't think the public understands what that means either.
We have probably as much education to do as anything."
Vonderheide said no specific threats were made against the show, but that he'd seen people were "unhappy" after Dubois County Pride posted about the drag show on Facebook.
When asked if allowing the show to go on as intended would've created safety concerns, the mayor said his office hadn't had time to evaluate that but it "certainly would open itself up to other unintended consequences."
Some on social media laid the blame for the cancelation on the "Libs of TikTok" Twitter account.
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With over 1.2 million followers, "Libs of TikTok," reposts and mocks left-wing and LGBTQ+-related TikToks.
On May 30, the account posted a "Mega Drag Thread" listing several different pride-related drag shows scheduled by various organizations across the country. It included Dubois County Pride's planned performance.
"They say it's innocent. They say it's just about inclusion and acceptance," the thread's caption reads. "They say no one is trying to confuse, corrupt, or sexualize kids. They lie."
The page also shared a screenshot of Dubois County Pride's Facebook post announcing the cancelation of the show.
When reached for comment, an admin for the Twitter account said that parents had organized a Facebook group to fight against the show.
In its Facebook post, Dubois County Pride said it was "disappointed" by the cancelation, but "in no way deterred."
"Our mission to promote and advocate love and equality remains steadfast," the group said.