The Philadelphia Zoo Has a Drag Queen Problem
"There are Trump people that come to the zoo," explains one zoo employee.
A scene from a previous Pride event at the Philadelphia Zoo (photo via Philadelphia Zoo promotional image)
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The Philadelphia Zoo Has a Drag Queen Problem
On Tuesdays, the Philadelphia Zoo presents “Story Time Tuesdays: Animal Tales.” A special guest reads a book about animals to kids. And a zookeeper brings along one of the zoo’s animals to show to the tots. It’s a lovely affair. On June 3rd, to kick off Pride Month, the Philadelphia Zoo was set to partner with local non-profit Philadelphia Family Pride, and the group engaged drag queen Christina Bangz to read to the children. Well, that was the plan anyway.
According to Philadelphia Family Pride spokesperson Michael Galvan, the Philadelphia Zoo’s director of school and community partnerships, Bethany Housman, reached out to the organization on Friday to set up an urgent phone call before the holiday weekend. And on that call, says Galvan, Housman pulled the plug on any drag queen involvement with the event.
“She was apologetic and said she wished she were calling with better news,” says Galvan, the person who had set the event up with Housman in the first place. “But she said that ‘senior leadership’ had requested that we continue the event without a drag queen story hour. She said specifically that her leadership was ‘concerned they could not guarantee the safety and security’ of our drag artist.”
It didn’t take Galvan long to decide that if there would be no drag queen, there would be no Philadelphia Family Pride involvement with the zoo.
“I appreciate concerns about safety,” says Galvan. “But if they can’t keep one drag queen safe, then I don’t feel comfortable having queer families in that space. Additionally, in this ‘modern era’, drag artists are being vilified and attacked. We need to stand in solidarity.”
Housman and a Philadelphia Zoo spokesperson did not return messages seeking comment. But one Philadelphia Zoo employee, who is queer, had this to say about the cancelation, which they were unaware of until I told them about it: “There are Trump people that come to the zoo. Our public safety department can’t respond immediately, because there’s only a few patrolling staff. It could take three-plus minutes to respond.” (I agreed not to name the employee, since they are not authorized to speak to the press.)
Sure, I get that. But also, this feels a little bit like the town outside of Philly that just canceled its longstanding Fourth of July parade because terrorists might attack it. And if the Philadelphia Zoo is committed to being an ally of the LGBTQ community, maybe hire a bodyguard for the one hour that the drag queen would have been on the premises, assuming that safety concerns are really at the center of this decision. I’m not certain that they are.
A Violent, Chaotic Memorial Day Weekend
Late on Monday, a “rapid fire” shooting took place on Lemon Hill Drive in Fairmount Park. The gunfire hit eleven people, killing two of them. Police were already in the area due to the large crowds and earlier 911 calls about behavior in the park. And if you thought you could escape “city problems” by heading to the Jersey Shore… police made 73 arrests in Seaside Heights, 52 adults and 21 minors. There were numerous fights and multiple stabbings.
If you’re wondering, homicides and overall violent crimes are down in Philadelphia, year to date, though not as much as you’d wish they would be. And many worry that with the warmer weather and schools going on break soon, we could be in for a problematic summer. Here’s hoping that’s not the case.
And On a Lighter Note
Post Malone played Philly on Saturday and made it a point to visit Nifty Fifty’s… wearing Dallas Cowboys gear. It’s amazing nobody threw a milkshake at him. Of course, the whole “Dallas Sucks” crew had plenty to say on social media. God bless them.
Big Reads
The most-read Philly Mag story over the weekend was Friday’s Just Ask Victor (that’s me) column about grilling in Rittenhouse Square and other Philly parks. Some readers were very appreciative with the information I provided, since nobody seemed to have a clue about the rules surrounding grilling in Philadelphia. Others were none too happy with it, for reasons I still don’t quite understand. How do you hate a guide to grilling? One called the article “rage bait.” People really need to take a pill if they think that was rage bait.
By the Numbers
59 degrees: Forecasted high for tomorrow. Booooo! And rain in the forecast every day from Wednesday through Saturday? Double boooo! But is that 82 degrees I see in the forecast for next week? Yes, yes it is.
$800,000: What you’ll need to buy a shuttered Wawa in Delco. The company is selling seven properties in the Philly area. No word on whether it comes with a free Meatball Shorti.
0: Retail stores where you can buy marijuana in Delaware even though the state legalized recreational weed two years ago. One official involved in the process says that leaders “completely botched” the entire thing. Fortunately, the guy down the street from you is still selling pot, cheaper than you can get it for at any of the recreational and medicinal stores in the region that are open.
Local Talent
This is somewhat self-serving, but given that it’s for a good cause, I’m sure my editors will allow it. July 13, 1985 marks the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, so I’m marking the occasion by presenting “40 Years Ago Today: The Live Aid Tribute Concert” at Union Transfer on that same date. A host of local singers and musicians (including my own band, The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret) will gather to perform songs that were performed that day at Wembley and JFK. And 100 percent of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. More info here.
