Family First says LGBTIQA+ drag queens are not for kids and has pledged to de-fund councils who promote them to children.
Recent events, such as the "Drag Life Drawing Out West" held at Altona Beach by the Hobson’s Bay City Council on February 1, 2025, have raised concerns among parents and community members.
If elected, Family First’s Senate team will fight to withdraw Commonwealth grants from local councils that allocate public funds to promote LGBTIQA+ drag queen events.
This is to protect children from exposure to gender-fluid and sexualised role models, which are inappropriate, especially in public spaces such as beaches.
New South Wales lead Senate candidate Lyle Shelton stated:
"Our children deserve to be nurtured in environments that respect their innocence and promote clear, consistent values.
“Using public money to fund events that blur these lines is irresponsible.
“If elected, Family First will ensure that councils prioritising such activities will no longer receive Commonwealth grants."
Family First believes that such events, even when labelled as ‘family-friendly’, introduce children to harmful concepts of gender fluidity and expose them to sexualised role models.
The party asserts that public funds should not be used to support activities that may confuse or mislead children, which is clearly the intent of the LGBTIQA+ activists who have lobbied local councils such as the Hobson’s Bay.
The same policy would apply to councils who hold drag queen story time events in local libraries.
Mr Shelton, who is also National Director of Family First, has previously highlighted the potential harms of exposing children to drag queen performances.
In an on-going landmark legal case, Shelton is defending his stance against drag queen story time events in council libraries, emphasising the need to protect children from early sexualisation and indoctrination into harmful gender-fluid concepts.
Family First urges local councils to cut any public funds allocated towards events featuring drag queens and to focus instead on initiatives that uphold mainstream family values and protect the well-being of children.
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