Bloomington's first Pride event draws pushback over drag performers

Oliver Sharp, who's known in the Twin Cities as drag queen Harrie Bradshaw, addressed the Bloomington City Council last week to defend the upcoming performances at the city's first Pride Festival this weekend.

"We are here and we are not trying to harm your children," said Sharp, who will perform Saturday. "You teaching hate is what is harming children."

The city's Human Rights Commission, which has participated in Twin Cities Pride for the past four years, will host its Pride Festival on Saturday. But city officials have been receiving calls and e-mails from some residents who oppose the celebration and others who take issue specifically with drag performers.

City officials have already decided to drop Martina Marraccino from the lineup of performers, following allegations that Marraccino's social media venues included "explicit material." City spokeswoman Janine Hill said officials determined the allegation was true.

Mayor Tim Busse, in a tweet last week, said that he was "disappointed this happened. It was an entirely avoidable error that put Bloomington in a bad light, and it distracted attention away from the goal of hosting a fun, inclusive and welcoming community event."

According to a written statement from Marraccino, who uses they/them pronouns, the event organizer told them that city officials had found adult films they participated in on Twitter. Some residents also took issue with Marraccino being part of the Satanic Temple, a nontheistic group.

"Because my religion doesn't fit with the majority doesn't mean its rights should be infringed upon," Marraccino said. "The city of Bloomington should be disappointed that its leaders allowed a religious hate group to bully them into firing a highly respected community leader without the respect of even speaking to her."

Sharp, who also uses they/them pronouns, told the council at the Aug. 2 meeting that some community members are claiming that drag performers are "not appropriate for children." They said their performances at the Pride Festival will be for children, unlike content shared by Sharp on Twitter and adult websites.

Sharp said people opposed to drag performers are the ones actually sharing inappropriate content on Facebook where children can see it.

"We are entertainers. We studied theater, singing, dancing, sewing — we are skilled in our craft. We understand the difference between what is appropriate for children and what is not," Sharp said.

Some community members opposed to the drag performers distributed fliers at the council meeting and posted messages on social media with explicit content, along with the city logo and Bloomington Pride branding.

"It's not even the event that we're mad about, we're mad about your choice of entertainment," Becky Strohmeier, chairwoman of the Bloomington Patriots, a conservative interest group, told the council. "Do we hire porn actors to come do children's shows here in Bloomington?"

Karen Wills, a Bloomington licensed clinical psychologist who works with youth sorting out their identities, said the festival as planned "will be family-friendly and it will be fully affirming of children, youth, young adults, older adults and seniors … who are people who value the diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity in our communities."

Hill said Bloomington officials don't approve the use of its logo on materials that are not produced by the city, but did not say whether the city would take action against residents distributing the material.

"This is a first-of-its-kind event in Bloomington, and the city wants to make it a success," Hill said. "The Human Rights Commission, and the City Council and staff are committed to making the August 14 Pride event a celebration of LGBTQ+ community and one that people of all ages can enjoy."

The Human Rights Commission included a Pride celebration in its 2021 work plan that the council approved in February. The first planning meeting was held in March with a working mission to create "a fun, inclusive and welcoming setting for all LGBTQ+ community members," Hill said.

Bloomington consulted other communities hosting Pride celebrations, including Mankato, Duluth, Rochester, St. Cloud and Golden Valley, according to Hill. They also spoke with leaders of Twin Cities Pride, "who encourage Pride celebrations in suburban areas."

Bloomington Pride will be held on the east lawn of Bloomington Civic Plaza and begin at 5 p.m. with music, followed by drag comedy at 7 p.m., along with food, arts and crafts, games and stilt walkers.

Kim Hyatt • 612-673-4751