Participants in a New York City drag march have gone viral after a video appeared to show the crowd chanting, “We’re here. We’re queer. We’re coming for your children.”
But some parade defenders said the incident is being misunderstood.
The Friday march was part of New York City’s annual “pride month” celebrations and also served as a commemoration of the Stonewall riots 54 years ago that are generally considered the beginning of the gay rights movement.
With many clad in rainbow-colored accessories, flashy clothing, and others going topless, the participants in the march walked through Tompkins Square Park and into Greenwich Village, where they stopped at the Stonewall Inn, the gay bar that was the scene of a 1969 police raid that led to six days of violence, according to multiple reports.
As they walked along, as the New York Post reported, some of the marchers appeared to chant the phrase: “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children.”
WARNING: The following video contains nudity and images that viewers may find disturbing.
NYC Drag Marchers chant “we’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children” https://t.co/ucK1qM4fv5 pic.twitter.com/OhBguhWwZY
— Timcast News (@TimcastNews) June 24, 2023
The questionable choice of words has been perceived by many as LGBT activists boasting about indoctrinating children.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said of the video on Twitter: “This movement grooms minors to have mastectomies and castration and fuels a multi billion dollar medical child abuse industry … Let kids be kids.”
She also called on Congress to pass her “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” – a bill that would make gender-affirming care illegal to perform on a minor.
People in the medical community that make money selling gender lies about children that aren’t even old enough to talk in order to “treat trans children who are able to be treated” must be stopped.
This is why we must pass my bill Protect Children’s Innocence Act. https://t.co/JPAnMAyrDv
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) June 24, 2023
Those who have defended the marchers, however, have said that they were actually mocking conservatives who think they’re targeting children.
The intention is to provoke.
— Jesse Jaimz (@jesse_jaimz) June 24, 2023
Ever hear of satire? They are mocking your silly fears.
— Bredzulianski (@CarpathianMts) June 25, 2023
Some also claimed that they had been instigated by the person taking the video and others argued that they weren’t actually chanting “we’re coming for your children.”
Instigated by camera man. Parade marchers chanted back to mock him.
Both parties in the wrong for this.
— Eccosan (@EccosanTTV) June 25, 2023
It’s unclear at this point who actually started the chant and why.
Whatever the case, this isn’t the first time such a thing has happened.
In mid-2021, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus went viral after a video of theirs was released to the public, showing them singing about how they’ll “corrupt” and “convert” children.
— MARTIN?? (@Pas_De_Ce_M0nde) June 24, 2023
The song, called “A Message from the Gay Community,” contained the following lyrics:
“You say we all lead lives you don’t respect,
But you’re just frightened.
You think that we’ll corrupt your kids if our agenda goes unchecked.
Funny, just this once, you’re correct.
. . .
We’ll convert your children,
Happens bit by bit,
Quietly and subtly and you will barely notice it.
. . .
We’re coming for them.
We’re coming for your children.
We’re coming for them.
We’re coming for your children.”
In a statement, according to TMZ, the chorus later claimed “far-right conservative media” had taken their words out of context in order to “support a narrative that suits their intolerant and hateful needs.”
They also noted that the song was meant to be satirical and suggested that the “tongue-in-cheek humor is lost in many.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
