An LBGTQ center in Ohio partially funded by county taxpayers is holding a monthly session teaching children as young as 11 the “fundamentals of drag.”
The Colors+ Youth Center, roughly 15 miles from Cleveland, welcomes kids from ages 4 to 17, and states that it is “run by two licensed professional mental health counselors.”
“In collaboration with Drag Queen Story Hour Cleveland, we offer monthly drag tutorials on the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 6-7:30pm led by a local drag performer who teaches the fundamentals of drag (makeup, costume design, and performance),” the Colors+ website proclaims. “Youth are able to creatively express themselves in a safe, affirming, and age appropriate way. Funded by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.”
The county funding comes from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, which boasts that it is “one of the largest local public funders for arts and culture in the nation, helping hundreds of organizations in Cuyahoga County connect millions of people to cultural experiences each year,” adding, “Cuyahoga Arts & Culture is a strong steward of the public’s money, investing nearly $12 million annually in organizations that bring arts and culture to life in our communities. Each year we support tens of thousands of arts and culture programs and events that enhance the lives of Cuyahoga County residents.”
In July, the Colors+ Youth Center celebrated the election of one of its board members as President of the Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (OACES).
“I’m thrilled to share that I have been elected to serve as 2024-25 President of the Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (OACES)!” the board member stated. “I am looking forward to my three years of service as President-elect (2023-24), President, and Past-President (2025-26) alongside the fantastic folks on the OACES Executive Board.”
After the Supreme Court landmark decision at the end of June which struck down a Colorado law that would have punished a Christian graphic designer who would not design a website for a same-sex wedding, the Colors+ Youth Center wrote on Facebook, “Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling granting a narrow exemption from nondiscrimination law to a Colorado website design business so that they can deny services to same-sex couples. Denying service to anyone because of who they are is out of step with what the overwhelming majority of Americans, including business owners, believe.”