The historic Fairbanks-area Tanana Valley State Fair has agreed to let a controversial LGBTQ activist group perform cross-sex drag queen shows during the upcoming July fair.
Established 101 years ago, the intent of Alaska’s oldest fair has always been to offer a family-friendly event for the community.
According to the fair’s website, it aims to be a “gathering point featuring family fun for all, including livestock, games, rides, an amusement park, horse shows, art and crafts, competitive exhibits, quilt shows, giant cabbages, contests and special events, and two outdoor stages with free entertainment daily.”
This summer, however, a group called Out at the Fair (OATF) plans to harness the popular annual gathering to promote its divisive LGBTQ agenda with what it hails as “our furthest north Glam Show.” The goal is to feature cross-dressing drag queens and kings at a July 29 performance. The event is not part of the fair’s free entertainment, but fairgoers (ages 18 and up) will need to purchase separate tickets to attend.
This is not the first time OATF has targeted a family centered fair to further its social agenda. In 2022, the group organized a “visibility” event at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, urging LGBTQ activists to dress in rainbows and other attire to publicly promote the movement.
Typically, OATF works to establish an initial foothold at state and local fairs around the country. By starting small and working out, this strategy entails moving from smaller private events to eventually becoming officially sponsored vendors and entertainers.
The group has also been known for partnering with activist who mock religious groups by dressing as drag queen Catholic nuns.
Started in 2011, the group now provides officially-sponsored LGBTQ entertainment at fairs across California, Oregon and New Mexico. Events include drag performances for adults and children, gay-themed concerts and dances, LGBTQ photo booths, erotic acrobatic shows, kids’ games and other activities. Many of the events entail scantily clad, highly sexualized cross-dressers – often men wearing heavy makeup and women’s attire.
The group has also been known for partnering with activists who mock religious groups by dressing as sexualized Catholic nuns.
According to the Tanana Fair’s website, all entertainment acts must be “family oriented and appropriate for all ages. No exceptions.”
Since OATF has not provided specifics about its Fairbanks show, it is unclear how it will abide by these rules. Drag queen performances often entail bearded and scantily clad men in heavy makeup, who then prance around a stage impersonating highly-sexualized depictions of women.
TAKING ACTION
— Click here to contact the Tanana Valley State Fair board of directors with any concerns or suggestions.
— To contact the fair headquarters, email operations@tvsfa.org or call (907) 452-3750, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
44 Comments
The 10% minority wanted to influence the 90% majority with its own misplaced values at the oldest state fair and those in charge of the fair agreed to it. Good luck with that.
Weird take. I mean, I don’t crochet or grow dahlias or raise sheep, but I still like to see and experience those things at the fair. At the same time I’d probably choose to watch a draft horse pull over visiting a stage with country music. This show sounds like a blast. But if it doesn’t to you, don’t go.♀️
It’s a fair! That means an event attended by various factions, various exhibits, food types, arts-crafts, techno, music and many other forms of entertainment. Drag is hilarious. I grew up watching Milton Berle and Flip Wilson and they caused me no harm. Now the kooky religious orthodoxy wants to impose their twisted sense of morality by banning the Gay Lesbian community. I guess they once more forgot our Lord’s strongest command; Love one another. Shame on them!
love and acceptance of a deviant lifestyle are not the same. Cultural acceptance of sexual immorality of any kind is the antisithis of love. its also a sign of a nation’s decline. so no to drag shows, no to porn and strippers and drunken foolishness. you would do well to grasp what love actually means, hint it’s not unbridled acceptance of any behavior.
I sure don’t want a Christian defying deviant lifestyle.
It’s not even 10%. This is unacceptable.
“Drag queen performances often entail bearded and scantily clad men in heavy makeup, who then prance around a stage impersonating highly-sexualized depictions of women.” Drag shows are hilarious and goofy and largely satirical. If your child gets embarrassed or asks questions, GOOD! The conservative, christian homeschooling sect should welcome the teachable moment. Lighten up.
They definitely welcome the “teachable moment”. A great opportunity to teach their kids to stay away from sick minded, sexually perverted freaks like these.
Well folks, there you have it. Manny knows what johnson tastes like and has an eye on your kids.
I suspect there may be a reciprocal teaching moment on your event horizon, Manny.
This is amazing!! It’s really cool to see Fairs embrace their full company, plus if it is a ticketed event separate from the Fair it will not impede on anyone who doesn’t want to partake. Good for the Fair & keep showing your communities PRIDE.
I’d rather go to a drag show than church because at least drag queens don’t preach love while spewing judgment. You sound like an insecure man from a small town with an even smaller mindset. It’s 2025—your outdated, holier-than-thou attitude is embarrassing. While the rest of us celebrate authenticity and progress, you’re stuck on your high horse, looking down on people who dare to be themselves. Maybe instead of judging, try catching up with the times. Or don’t—either way, no one’s waiting for you.
Interesting. Sure sounds like you are full of judgmentalism. I reread the article and did not read judgement only reporting of events and changes with the fair that many families likely would want to know about. Yet you make all sorts of assumptions. As for ‘getting with the times’ what comes to my mind is just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
“Preach love while spewing judgment” Perfectly describes the LGTQB+whatever movement. You sound like an angry lesbian from San Fran Sicko. It literally doesn’t get any holier-than-thou than you people.
The drag Queen ‘culture’ is twisted, disturbing, and definitely not (healthy) family friendly. If the fair is going to encourage and invite this entertainment it should be in an area that is age restricted and during evening hours when most kids are not present.
Someone didn’t read the event and is passing judgement. lol
Weren’t you just talking about how non-judgmental you folks are?
Elizabeth–calm down. The event is restricted to 18+, is in a separate area, scheduled for an evening, and requires separate tickets.
Queers working to normalize their grooming tactics. The ‘teaching moment’ is an opportunity to show your children a range of demented predators to the mentally retarded and to the naive morons who consider this harmless.
Sounds like projection.
Come on, Sallie, you can do better. Tell us exactly what having men dress in woman-face and act like whores in front of kids does for society. Detail for us precisely what the point of this is, and why it is important that these perverts shake their money-makers at people who have not chosen to go to gay bars to experience the depth of grotesque behavior. Describe to me how this enriches our culture and makes our kids stronger, better and smarter. Please to list all those benefits. Or can you just point fingers and call names?
So the circus is coming to the fair.
“The group has also been known for mocking religious groups by dressing as sexualized Catholic nuns.” You’re referring to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a completely different organization from Out at the Fair. In any case, I don’t know what you’re complaining about. Tickets to the show are only available to ages 18 and up, and no one is forcing you to go …. although maybe you SHOULD purchase a ticket and report on what you see.
Why can’t I bring my little children to the event! It is so unfair! It would be a great learning event for them! I was allowed to bring them to drag queen story hours in the past four years and now this! Just allow them to go with us adults so they can learn that it is ok to dress any they want when they grow up ,just as long they don’t show private parts!
dunleavy will be there dressed for the occasion with his little smolden troll all dolled up! DONT MISS IT!
no thank you. we don’t need this here
Yuck, absolutely confusing for children … no thanks
Grown men mocking women, wearing woman-face, and I see all the various perverts here all in on it. Hate your mom, daughters, grandmothers much? There are adult bars set up for this filth. The only reason to have it at the State Fair is to stick your filthy fingers on our eyes. No thanks. Grow up.
If you’re an adult and you want to see this type of show, go to an adult club. This is adult material and our rights to take our children in public to a family type environment and not have our kids be exposed to this adult behaviors should be respected. Why is it such a crime to want to protect the innocent now days, this is not harmless, sexless behavior that goes on at these events and these groups have stated publicly that they are aiming at our children.. Last I knew being sexualiy explicit to minors was a crime, exposing yourself to children is a crime or to anyone for that matter. No, don’t be fooled, this is not harmless fun, no, we should not “lighten up”, in fact in light of the newfound lac of concern for the innocent, it’s more likely time to double down on protecting them, not doing so would be negligent . We shouldn’t have to be afraid to go in public with our children for fear of them being exposed to such graphic acts of sexual circus nudity and distasteful pornagrphic behaviors aimed at our kids who in fact are truly innocent, don’t put them at risk of being molested and preyed upon.
As an adult, you’re free to do what you like and who you like, but not in front of our kids. Please, take it in private where it belongs and no one gets hurt, it’s a win win.
Thank you
P.s., my comments are not referring to this group referred to in particular but to all groups of this nature, I’m sure some don’t wish to aim harm, but many do and have and will cause harm to the innocent. So it must be the same for all groups of this nature., It’s just common sense.
Thank you
Good for you Brooke. You managed to make your claims without telling us why and without evoking the Christian god.
Absolutely NOT appropriate for the fair. Huge irony in the fact that these people always act like “gosh we’re just normal, regular people who want to be left alone to do our own thing”, yet they will ALWAYS go to literally any length to force their sick, perverted filth like roaches, into every nook and cranny of everyone’s life.
They are not “forcing” anything on you John. Don’t like it, don’t go.
Read it again, Manny. Comprehension skills are important.
The Fair is a public event open to all, it’s not a nook or cranny of your personal life. Maybe go take a walk John? You seem all hot and bothered just thinking about these drag queens.
I’d bet a nickel that several of these supposed supporters are the same poofter posting from the same IP.
Is there a good stock of monkey pox vax at the FBX clinic? A double wrap won’t be enough to protect yourself from these truck driver in a dress types. FBX will be running a special on viral loading, bacteria, parasites and more that all get in the hard way and they’re angry kinds of bugs.
Be that as it may, this isn’t the problem it appears at first blush. This is an issue of whomever runs the FBX fair forgetting the objective. These guys are the wrong kind of ride for a family fair.
What are you talking about? Fairbanks has drag shows every weekend. They had two all-=ages drag shows this past weekend. If you don’t like it don’t go.
If you need to control everyone to get them to agree with you, you’re a tyrant!
Drag shows in some FBX gimp’s basement? Is that what you’re referring to?
Your cognitive deficit allows you to pretend that homosexuality is wholesome family oriented recreation when it clearly is not. You know that though and convolute the concepts. More mainstream strip joints also are not wholesome and family oriented… which is one of the reasons why you don’t see The Bush lobbying for a chance to have a booth at the Palmer Fair. Were it not for sex, none of us would be here. But pretending that aberrant sexual fetishes are reasonable children’s topics is to have missed an important social observation. Everyone knows the tired ‘don’t like it; don’t go’ but that’s not the issue. The issue is that deviant behavior is now being promoted as a family value by the fair.
Drag queens have families too. All loving families are great, ones who indoctrinate their children to exist in the dark ages not welcome.
that which was kept in the dark backalley “sideshows” of the BigTop fairs for hundreds of years… where women and children did not go…where the Fat Woman and Bearded Lady and Tattooed Man once were gawked upon when you paid a fee to see such aberrant creatures…this has all been done before, watch it creep in, its part of the Manifesto. Citizens Unite.
Fairbanks always has and always will be a bastion of personal freedom. Stay home if Freedom upsets you.
Come On People!!! Smile on your brother who wants to dress up like a tacky woman and put on a show!
Let’s get real, it’s no different than going to a circus and seeing funny clowns doing their bit!
It’s simply big top entertainment.
At the 18+ age requirement to see the performances, people should have the right to choose to pay to view an entertaining show.
On the opposite side – show time….
Women, you can play too.
Dress up in funky Juneau state legislature suits with man buns ♂️, don valley man coveralls with sleeveless t-shirts , slip into grubby commercial fishing gear showing your best stringy greasy hair and slimy extratufs , cow dung dirty Fairbanks chaps with plaid shirts and straw hats and Anchorage tough guy motorcycle leathers with long chains hanging off sides of your leather dude britches ️-
Lastly – You must include some form of fake male appendages (the main one and its two attachments). Please!! Make sure ‘the boys’ are tastefully hidden but just enough to obviously prove you are portraying a REAL MAN – OH!!! My goodness, AND don’t forget to sport your best fake beards!!!! liberally add fake beards (very popular in manly men show).
All performers will open up the show while strutting around on stage to the popular man song YMCA, add other types of (I’m a strong dude) MAN music while singing in DEEPLY off key male voices. For the finishing touch – dressing like cavemen, drag at least one woman around by the hair… singing a chorus of the theme for Flintstones!!
OMG Ladies!!! YOU CAN DO IT – time to put on your own show!!!
It’s up to you women – it’s time to counter drag shows with talented tacky man shows proving how wonderful it is to be a representing MAN …..wait, you don’t think it would be entertaining enough?
Competition is good,
But admittedly it is true: Men dressed in drag (especially as tacky women) definitely do know how to comically entertain!!! ADULTS !! No children !! And No story time!!!!!!!!
Nice description of Alaskan men
Wonderful news! I’d much rather see that than any lying Republican.
Groomers doing what they do best: grooming children into their demonic perverted lifestyle, pretending it is perfectly normal. Aside from that does the fair get federal or state funding? If so the drag show may be in violation of President Trump’s recent EO’s.
Old headline: The Tanana Valley Fair – A Family Friendly Place. New headline: The Tanana Valley Fair – A Perverted Friendly Place