A Washington state school district is rewarding middle school students $2,000 for setting up a drag show for students.
Bellingham Public Schools (BPS) announced Whatcom Middle School's Gender Sexuality Alliance Club (GSA) as the winner of its Think BIG competition in pitching a student drag show for middle school kids (ages 10-14), 770 AM-Washington reported.
The drag show was awared $2,000 for pitching the best way to spend Bellingham Public Schools Foundation funds in 250 words or less. The drag show beat out building storm gardens, buying serapes for graduating seniors, and helping meet student transportation needs to and from school, according to the report.
The GSA's "Drop Dead Gorgeous Drag Show" was a winner for BPS, and the club will get the money next week.
"In their application for the contest, the WMS [Whatcom Middle School] GSA stated that, if they won any of the Foundation's grant funds, they would use them to plan a student drag/talent show and additional outreach activities to support students, such as anti-bullying posters or campaigns," a BPS spokesperson told KTTH.
The judges that decided the winner declined to comment on their decision.
"We have heard from most of the judges for the think big event, and they aren't interested in commenting," a BPS spokesperson told KTTH.
The winning pitch, according to the report, read:
"If GSA received a fund, and was able to use that fund to spread the queer word, we know it would help awareness with bullying and homophobia, and why it isn't ok. It would also help people know that there is a GSA, and that it is a safe space for queers and allies all around. We want to make the world a safer space for queers, and all other peers."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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