The Huffington Post reports in “Kinky Boots Performers Have Amazing Response to Macy’s Day Parade Outrage”by stating “Homophobia reared its ugly head in response to the supposedly cheerful Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade In New York on Thursday, as some Americans took to social media to criticize the performance of "Kinky Boots," an award-winning Broadway musical about a shoe factory owner and a drag queen who work together to turn the family business around.” The parade, which featured a flashy finale of the musical’s number, “Raise You Up/Just Be”, performed by actors in drag, was widely criticized on social media for being unpatriotic, unwholesome, and unfit for television.
American Family Association sub-project One Million Moms was in an uproar over the performance, sending out a message to supporters early Friday morning: “As a parent and a member of OneMillionMoms.com, I am greatly disappointed in your company's choice to include the "Raise You Up" drag performance during your Thanksgiving Day Parade with millions of children present and watching from home. It is inappropriate to highlight cross-dressing in a sexually charged performance during a traditional family activity. Your blatant agenda and in-your-face message was quite offensive, and Macy's cannot be trusted. Shame on Macy's for promoting this behavior.”
It’s a common argument, isn’t it? The Gay Agenda? When I think of the GA, what comes to mind is thousands of strapping dykes all dressed in green camo, armed with pistol-shaped double-headed dildos, ready to ravage the innocent straights of the universe. Hot! How do I get the Gay Agenda to show up at my doorstep?
No, but really guys. What’s up with this argument? Luckily for us, queers fight back with a mafia of glitter, glamour, and perfect pitch. When confronted with the backlash of the parade, “Kinky Boots” stars rallied in front of Macy’s on Black Friday and did their shopping in full drag. “You have to start a dialogue,” the musical’s co-creator Harvey Fierstein told Page Six while shopping with the show's actors. “And you can’t have a dialogue unless someone says something first. It takes actual work to open up [people’s] minds.”
In a statement sent to Playbill.com, meanwhile, Fierstein reiterated his support for the fabulously flamboyant musical.
"I'm so proud that the cast of Kinky Boots brought their message of tolerance and acceptance to America's parade," Fierstein said in the statement. "Ten years ago I was humbled to ride a float dressed as Mrs. Claus, and it was the thrill of a lifetime. Congratulations to Macy's, on leading the world, not only with your salesmanship, but also your humanity."
