Drag queen 'Letta Dicken' performs for children at Maine town's first Pride festival

A Maine town near Portland drew criticism after a drag queen with a suggestive name performed in front of children at the town's first-ever Pride weekend on Sunday. That name was "Letta Dicken."

According to WMGE, over a dozen letters were sent to the town in the spring arguing that drag shows were not family-friendly. Others in the community expressed concerns over threats to drag queens.

Windham Police investigated and found no credible threats, but despite this, organizers decided not to have drag performers participate.

A May 30 announcement by the Windham/Raymond Pride Board stated that the drag performances had been canceled due to "bravado, close-mindedness, and the use of social media with reckless abandon on the part of some of our community members."

"Deplorable behavior (from a small but vocal group) has led to our entire community losing the privilege to see drag royalty at our inaugural pride event. The Pride Board and our Queens made the call late last night that prioritizing safety over anything else was the only way forward."

The announcement noted that the Sunday event featured an "eccentric maker market, engaging read-alouds, and [an] array of kid-friendly activities."

One drag queen attended the festival, "Together We Rise," last minute by the name of "Letta Dicken." The drag queen was seen dancing in a sparkly rainbow jumpsuit, reading to children, and singing "The Hips on the Drag Queen," which is sung to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus. Letta Dicken proclaims to be "Maine’s #1 Plus Size Drag Queen" on Instagram. 

"I found it really important to show up and be visible and help lift up not only the Windham and Raymond queer community, but also this organization, which has gone through a lot of challenges to get to where they are today," the performer told the Portland Press Herald on Sunday. “I wanted to help get out the message that love is louder than hate."

"We've had them in Portland for a very long time and to have them go to communities outlying Portland is absolutely stellar," said volunteer Jennifer Curren. "You know kids need support throughout the whole state of Maine, not only for kids, but I see many older couples here coming in thanking us for having safe spaces for the community."

Windham Police Chief Kevin Schofield said that no protests or disturbances were reported during the event.