Organizers of the march say criticism of a “We’re coming for your children” chant was against the spirit of the event and that there were much worse things chanted.
In a clip posted to social media, dozens of drag queens and supporters march in the street and a chant can be heard: “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children.”
They were taking part in the annual New York City Drag March which takes place during Pride festivities in the month of June.
Brian Griffin, the organizer of the original NYC Drag March, said conservative observers would have heard much worse if he had attended this year.
In the past, Griffin said, he chanted things like, “Kill, kill, kill, we’re coming to kill the mayor” and frequently yelled about pubic hair and sex toys.
“It’s all just words,” Griffin said. “It’s all presented to fulfill their worst stereotypes of us.”
Attendees of the march reportedly regularly chant phrases such as, “God is a lesbian” and the now-infamous children line.
Longtime marchers and gay rights activists openly admit they’ve been chanting about coming for children for years, but claim they use the slogans to reclaim negative feelings toward the LGBT community.
Last year, for example, Gothamist reported that the marchers chanted, “Ten percent is not enough: Groom! Groom! Groom!”
Some Attendees Split on Chant
However, not every attendee is willing to defend the chant.
Fussy Lo Mein, a drag performer at the march who refused to give his real name to NBC, said, “It doesn’t represent everybody — it represents that individual [who was chanting]. I thought it was a dumb idea, and I started chanting on top of it with alternate verses.”
The organizer for this year’s march, who goes by Hucklefaery Ken or Sister-Lotti Da, said in an email statement that the chant was “bad joke that is being used to serve the interests of parasitic, predatory political propaganda and policy.”
“We won’t tolerate harm towards any child and advocate for the protection and encouragement of every child to be able to live their true, authentic lives free from fear and persecution,” Ken said.
Ken is understood to be part of the controversial drag troupe Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who became the center of conflict when the LA Dodgers honored them before their Pride Night game.
