The Student Room Group

Right-wing ban Downs Syndrome drag performers, questioning their ability to consent

Over the past year, a small troupe of drag performers with Down syndrome has taken the stage in London, Stockholm, Oslo and Montreal, adopting flashy alter egos and basking in the crowd’s applause. They call themselves Drag Syndrome.

The London-based troupe’s next stop was their United States debut.

Peter Meijer, a supermarket scion and Republican congressional candidate who owns the venue where the group was to appear, declined to host the performers, questioning whether they could give their “full and informed consent.”

On Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights against Mr. Meijer, claiming that he was discriminating against the performers because of their disability. The complaint also claimed discrimination on the basis of sex, considering they would be performing in drag.

“If members of the group were to perform an orchestra recital, chances are he wouldn’t have canceled the performance,” said Jay Kaplan, a staff attorney at A.C.L.U. of Michigan.

The arts exhibition, run by an organization called ArtPrize, was intended to be a local celebration of public art, accessibility and inclusion, with community events around Grand Rapids spanning several weeks. But before it has even begun, the exhibition has sparked a widespread debate about what sort of agency adults with intellectual disabilities have when it comes to performing drag, an art form still considered risqué in some circles.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/arts/drag-syndrome-peter-meijer.html
The world is so twisted at the minute.
Meijer ice cream is really good.

I think the probllem here isn't prejudice it's ignorance. For a long time I thought that people with Down's syndrome couldn't live independent lives. However, I have learned that there are different levels of functioning. For example, I saw a news story about a woman with Down's syndrome opening a bakery and making cupcakes, so I thought that was pretty cool. I think Mr. Meijer needs to be educated more on the abilities of people with this condition and how different people have different abilities to consent.
Original post by Sabertooth
Meijer ice cream is really good.

I think the probllem here isn't prejudice it's ignorance. For a long time I thought that people with Down's syndrome couldn't live independent lives. However, I have learned that there are different levels of functioning. For example, I saw a news story about a woman with Down's syndrome opening a bakery and making cupcakes, so I thought that was pretty cool. I think Mr. Meijer needs to be educated more on the abilities of people with this condition and how different people have different abilities to consent.

Perhaps. But then why is it always the right wing who act in ignorance?
Reply 4
Peter Meijer, a supermarket scion and Republican congressional candidate who owns the venue where the group was to appear, declined to host the performers, questioning whether they could give their “full and informed consent.”


That's an interesting question, can people with DS give their full and informed consent on anything? AP, make sure you come back with the ruling.

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