Blinq

A real drag in Haddonfield, NJ

Day care dis-invites a cross-dressing actor

6 comments

A real drag in Haddonfield, NJ

POSTED: Thursday, February 28, 2013, 9:26 AM

The tale of Martha Graham Cracker, Haddonfield Child Care and Dr. Seuss brings to mind “The Sneetches.”

In that classic Seuss story, silly creatures disagree about who among them is more fabulous: The sneetches with stars on their bellies, or those without.

The stars weren't so big; they were really quite small.
You would think such a thing wouldn't matter at all.

Far less artful is the wishy-washy, mishy-mashy statement by the Haddonfield, NJ private day care and after-school program. Following a tsunami of online tut-tuttery about its having invited, then mysteriously dis-invited, Ms. Cracker, a professional drag performer, to read Seuss to kids in celebration of Read Across America Day, HCC disseminated this:

Haddonfield Child Care is committed to providing an environment that recognizes and encourages diversity in our staff and activities. Along with that commitment comes a responsibility to be sensitive to the developmental levels, maturity and ages of the children in our programs, which range from 5 to 11 years old. We strive to provide a variety of activities that respect the individual needs and parenting styles of all of the families we serve.

Seems that even in semi-hip Haddonfield, some folks equate a man in a costume reading, say, "Green Eggs and Ham” with a sex education show-and-tell by the RuPaul Drag Race ladies.

Meanwhile, Graham, aka the immensely talented Philadelphia theater artist Dito van Riegersberg, has become a liberal cause célèbre. His Facebook page is nearly as awash in high-mindedness as HCC; fans bemoan parochial Haddonfield's purported paucity of progressive values -- in contrast to the abundance of their own enlightened views, etc.

But all will be swell in Martha-ville: Instead of stuffy Haddonfield, the performer will read to the kiddies Sunday at Philadelphia's Christ Church.

Let's note that as a private organization (like Christ Church), HCC is free to invite or disinvite whomever it wishes -- even someone like NFL star/right wing darling Tim Tebow, who reads Seuss on YouTube. But such an invitation might well draw fire from secular parents fearful that Tebow’s evangelical Christianity could pervert his narration of, say, “The Sneetches."

That book ends with the warring creatures finally realizing their common sneetchiness. And while Theodor Seuss Geisel, whose work never lacked a point of view, is no longer with us, he might write a similar ending for the Martha mess:

The Dr. Seuss tussle/is one foolish kerfuffle/so all of the birds should their feathers, un-ruffle.

Kevin Riordan @ 9:26 AM Permalink | 6 comments

6 comments

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Comments (6)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:42 AM, 02/28/2013

I guess in Kevin's world, exposing kids 5-11 years old to cross dressing is a sign that you are progressive, enlightened and hip. Do we really need to push the GLBT-CD agenda on kids or could we just let them be children for a few years?

— jimmymack

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:31 PM, 02/28/2013

Agreed JM
I swear I am starting to believe that the GLBT-CD activists look for ways to promote their lifestyle in inappropriate ways to create buzz and/or outrage to manufacture their claim that the world is against them.

— bpcmd

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:35 PM, 02/28/2013

I agree -- these "activists" need to stop promoting their lifestyles to innocent children. I was SHOCKED and HORRIFIED when I took my kids to the New Year's Day "Mummers Parade" that was SPONSORED by the city. Disgusting seeing all those drag "queens" parading around OUR city with no shame.

— phillydad2751

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:05 PM, 02/28/2013

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummers_Parade

Maybe you should do some research before you bring your kids to public events like "the oldest folk festival in the United States". And those are not drag queens. Those are south philly union guys in colorful costumes (not to say a beautiful drag queen can't live in south philly and be in a union).

Is it disgusting that Frank Oz (male) played Miss Piggy all those years? Is it disgusting that women wear pants and no make up? Those same women teaching your children sometimes? Maybe the world isn't disgusting, phillydad2751. Maybe your double standards are.

— JohnLphilly

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:24 PM, 02/28/2013

You know folks, if you think aobut it, what's the difference between dressing in drag and dressing up like a clown? And clowns are MUCH more scary.

— Di!1N

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:52 AM, 03/01/2013

From my own observations of kids for years:
5-11 year-old kids already know whether they as individuals want to dress as "princesses" or "princes", they will not be influenced by Ms. Martha Graham Cracker!

— EIK