Washington state elementary school brings in drag performance to stage R-rated Rocky Horror Picture Show for kids

Citizen watchdog Dawn Land attended the drag event at Donald Eisman Elementary School, part of the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, on July 26, which was promoted as family-friendly. While attendance was modest, Land noted that many attendees were parents with children.

“In addition to the school playground, there was a bouncy house and inflatable hamster balls, as well as an arts and crafts table, to encourage kids’ attendance,” Land said.

According to Land, the entertainment included a Drag Queen Story Hour followed by several drag performances. She says one performer appeared to gear his act toward children by using songs from The Little Mermaid and the Hannah Montana movie. Other performers, however, “kept their adult routines and music, proudly showing off their hairy chests where cleavage would be and twerking just a few feet in front of children.”

The emcee of the event at the school, who introduced himself as the Vice Chair of the 23rd Legislative District Democrats, told the audience he began performing in drag as a form of activism.

The event also featured the “Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with one performer dressed as Dr. Frank N. Furter, the sexually charged lead character, who is part of a troupe that stages the full movie.

The story follows a wholesome, newly engaged couple who find themselves caught in a rainstorm after their car gets a flat tire in a remote area. Seeking help, they stumble upon a mansion inhabited by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a self-proclaimed "sweet transvestite" from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania, along with his bizarre servants and guests. The couple is drawn into Frank-N-Futer’s world of hedonism and experimentation, leading to a series of seductive encounters, musical numbers, and revelations about the inhabitants' extraterrestrial origins.

The film includes betrayal, murder, absurdity, and sexuality as it explores themes of inhibition, coercion, and personal freedom as the couple's innocence is challenged. Screenings of the film are usually accompanied by live, sexually explicit performances.

The event appeared to be promoting a local screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, organized by the Hope Development Practice, which describes itself as “committed to the acceptance and respect of everyone regardless of age, race, ability, sexual orientation, religion, or gender.” The group is a recipient of the Pride Foundation’s LGBTQ Youth Initiative grant, which funds programs aimed at fostering leadership skills and advancing conversations on social and health issues in LGBTQ communities.

On its website, the organization outlines two current Queer Youth Initiatives:

1. Community Art Installations – Youth-led projects to create and install public art raising awareness about human rights, equity, mental health, and LGBTQ issues.
2. Entertainment for a Cause – A youth-directed program in partnership with the Rocky Horror troupe “Riff Raff’s Street Rats,” giving participants experience in event planning, advertising, live performance, and show coordination.

The group received over $20,000 from the Washington State Legislature.

Land says the elementary school Pride event was used to promote the group’s upcoming Rocky Horror Picture Show screening as part of that youth initiative.

Critics have expressed concern over staging performances drawn from a sexually explicit film and adult-themed drag routines at an event marketed toward families and held on school grounds, especially with child-focused activities nearby.

The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “Individuals or organizations interested in renting space at one of our facilities start by creating an account in our online facility request system. They are then required to complete and submit a facility use application. District staff then reviews the request to make sure it meets all the requirements outlined in our facility use policy. Hope Development Practice’s request to rent our facility went through this process and was approved after meeting all the necessary criteria. Approval of a rental does not mean the district endorses or approves the event itself.”

A district spokesperson added, “We are currently reviewing our facility use policy and procedures.”