An amusement park in the UK has announced that it will no longer host Pride celebrations after a drag queen simulated a sex act in front of children during an “all ages family-friendly” event.
Adventure Island in Southend on Sea, Essex, was forced into apologizing to customers following complaints about drag queen Crystal using an angle grinder on his crotch while children were watching.
Crystal, a Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK star, said his act was no different to other entertainers seen on Britain’s Got Talent, or by pop stars like Lady Gaga, but that his performance was only perceived as sexual because he was in drag.
The park claimed that it was trying to be “inclusive,” but that it “backfired on them.”
A clip showing the performance, at Adventure Island in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, was filmed on Saturday by a concerned parent who was watching with his young son.
It showed drag queen Crystal, who performed on the first season of the BBC‘s Ru Paul’s Drag Race and whose real name is Colin Munro.
He was seen wielding an angle grinder and wearing fishnet tights, a leotard and a pair of high heels as more than 50 people including several children watched the event, which was being held to close the park’s Pride celebrations.
Performing to the tune of Scissor Sisters’ hit Filthy/Gorgeous, Crystal made thrusting motions with his hips and ran his hand up and down the angle grinder while using it to make sparks fly from a metal plate fixed to his crotch.
Philip Miller, executive chairman of Adventure Island, told MailOnline in a statement today that there had been ‘confusion’ as to ‘what we would allow or not’.
He added that the ‘grinding act’ was ‘definitely a nonstarter’ because it was not ‘family entertainment’ and vowed that the park will not participate in any future Pride celebrations, nor will Crystal be booked again.