MA Selectmen Rescind Decision To Ban Drag Show From LGBTQ+ Pride Event

NORTH BROOKFIELD, MA — Under the threat of a lawsuit, the North Brookfield Board of Selectmen has backed off a previous decision to ban a drag show at an upcoming LGBTQ+ pride event on the town common — but the elected officials also made clear they still don't support drag performances.

At a Tuesday meeting, the board voted to rescind an April 18 vote to block a drag show that was planned as part of the June “Small Town Pride” event sponsored by the Rural Justice Network. In a separate vote, Chair Jason Petraitis and Vice Chair John Tripp abstained from voting on a measure to support the event.

The Tuesday votes came hours before a potential legal problem for the town. Last week, the ACLU of Massachusetts warned North Brookfield that it could be sued for violating the free speech rights of the drag performers. The town attorney advised the selectmen that they could face a costly lawsuit for blocking the performance.

"I still think it's wrong," Tripp said during the meeting. "In my mind, my religious beliefs and my constitutional rights that I have, also for freedom of speech and freedom of religion, I still don't think it's the right thing."

Although the vote to support the Small Town Pride event on the common failed, Petraitis said the organizers don't need permission from the selectmen to hold the event and can proceed. The ACLU said it is still seeking clarification about what the vote means.

"The North Brookfield Select Board’s prior decision to deny ‘Small Town Pride’ the right to include drag performance clearly violated both our state and U.S. constitutions. We are seeking clarification from the town about some of the details of its latest decision. We will continue to work to ensure our clients are able to host an inclusive and joyous event on non-discriminatory terms," an ACLU spokesperson said Wednesday.

On Friday, the ACLU said the town had clarified the Tuesday vote, saying a vote taken in March to approve the Small Town Pride event — drag show included — still stood. In other words, the selectmen had voted to approve the entire event.

Drag performers have been targeted across the U.S., including a ban in Tennessee that has been temporarily blocked by a judge. In Massachusetts, drag queen story events have been disrupted by neo-Nazis.