In the past, multiple homecoming pep rallies at Ankeny High School have featured crossdressing performances by the " Spice Boys," male athletes doing dance routines in cheerleader outfits.ĭistrict spokesperson Samantha Aukes said students and staff are encouraged to report threats or bullying behavior to a school administrator or report it anonymously through the district's TIPS reporting system, which is available online or by calling 51. More: Ankeny students hear slurs at school, do not feel emotionally safe, new audit finds Barning echoed that sentiment, saying it was important for the students to see someone like them "living their truth and owning themselves."Ī recent audit found that students and teachers reported that slurs against LGBTQ people are a major concern in Ankeny schools. They took the opportunity to share with the students about how drag helped them explore gender identity and expression, something they did not always have a chance to do.įagen said that despite the negative reaction, they have a supportive community of performers, and that youths need their own supportive environment, in or out of school, with people who stand behind them. They said that the student reaction at the event was wonderful and that some students came up to the performers with tears in their eyes to explain how much the performance meant to them.įagen, who performs as Atlas Midos and uses they/them pronouns, said the students responded in an extremely positive way and excitedly cheered on the performers.
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They said the outfit, which contained several pairs of tights, was no more revealing than a drill team outfit, a cheerleading uniform or a wrestling singlet. Some of the reaction focused on Moon's outfit, which included a revealing body suit. He said he saw joy in the students at the year-end celebration like he's never seen before, and he enjoyed seeing the sense of community and support that it offered students.īarning, who performs as Komplete Moon and uses they/them pronouns, said the reaction was vile and hurtful. He said the show was meant to give those in attendance a support system and show them it's OK to be proud and to be who they want to be.ĭoss is an experienced, award-winning performer: He's been in theater, show choir and color guard throughout school, and has gotten into drag over the past few years. "It was meant to be an uplifting environment for those in the (Gay Straight Alliance) who don't always have all the support they need to get through the struggles in their lives," Doss told the Des Moines Register.ĭoss said that, after the online reaction, he first felt a little unsafe at school and was sad that people were taking the event and turning it into something malicious. He said the show was for those in the Gay Straight Alliance of all ages and that no one was forced to attend. It was also reported that Omar Mateen had visited the Pulse nightclub prior to the shooting, with patrons of the venue saying that he had expressed an interest in men and that he was a “regular.Ankeny school district social media accounts, including the superintendent's, were then flooded with thousands of negative replies, with many of them accusing both district officials and the performers of being pedophiles and "grooming" students through a drag performance. Some of the replies said those involved should be imprisoned or put on a sex offender list, while others threatened violence.Ĭarson Doss, an Ankeny High School senior who performed as Vivian Von D at the end-of-year celebration, said that the show was meant to help students feel welcome and was entirely student-produced. The Islamic State stated that this was the case following the massacre, though this has not been verified by US authorities, with ISIS having a history of claiming various terrorist attacks as having been conducted on behalf of their group. Many of our own are Muslim and we respect all religions that do not take innocent lives.”įollowing the events of the Orlando shooting, which took place at the LGBT Pulse nightclub, it was reported that the shooter Omar Mateen had pledged his allegiance to the terrorist group ISIS. The taking of innocent lives will not be tolerated.” He added: “One thing I do want to say is we aren’t using graphic porn and our purpose is not to offend Muslims. Our actions are directed at Jihadist extremists. Speaking to Newsweek, the hacker said: “Daesh have been spreading and praising the attack, so I thought I would defend those that were lost.