Thanks to massive community pushback, the historic Fairbanks-area Tanana Valley State Fair has decided to cancel plans to host a controversial LGBTQ drag queen show during this year’s fair.
On Feb. 21, the Alaska Watchman ran a story about the fact that a group called Out at the Fair (OATF) had arranged to perform a LGBTQ “Glam Show” with cross-dressing drag queens and kings on July 29. The event was not scheduled as one of the fair’s free events, but fairgoers (ages 18 and up) would have needed to purchase separate tickets to attend.
Three days after the Watchman story ran, the fair issued a statement saying the “Glam Show” was now cancelled.
“The Tanana Valley State Fair has received a lot of communication from the community regarding our possible hosting of a Glam Show,” the fair posted to its Facebook page. “At this time, this event will not be a part of the 2025 Fair. Tanana Valley State Fair continues to work towards our mission to ‘Educate and Entertain” and will be sharing entertainment updates shortly. Thank you so much for caring about the Fair and the community.”
Established 101 years ago, the intent of Alaska’s oldest fair has always been to offer a family-friendly event that includes livestock, games, rides and other traditional fair experiences.
OATF, however, works to establish an initial foothold at family-oriented fairs around the country. This strategy entails moving from smaller private events to eventually becoming officially sponsored vendors and entertainers with 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.
It appears this strategy failed in Fairbanks, where many residents had threatened to boycott the fair if persisted in hosted the drag show.
BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE FAIR
It appears a battle is brewing over the future direction of the fair. On March 26, the voting members of the Tanana Valley State Fair Association will choose new board members to serve on the nine-member board of directors which governs the fair.
According to the fair’s Facebook feed, several LGBTQ activists are considering a run for the board. New members had to have paid their dues by Feb. 24 to vote in next month’s election, but residents who live within 150 miles of the fair can still sign up to be voting members for future elections. The cost for a one-year membership is $25. Click here for more information.
26 Comments
This is the best news you’ve posted in a l9ng time. It’s time if LGBTQ+ want a show they need yo for it themselves and not tagging onto others, like the fair, parades, sporting events, etc..
LGBTQ+ folks need to know they are not normal and need mental help! They need yo know they are different but don’t need special rights! They choose to be that way.
What they call “inclusivity”, sane people call interloping.
I am all for shaking up the snowglobe of life, but the LGBT movement has just gotten so tired and boring.
Can we replace the current weirdos with actual space aliens or cluthulus or something? Anything but the broken rainbow brigade. bleh
Great News!!! Thank you for keeping Alaskans aware of what’s happening in Alaska!!! And leaving convenient links , that get messages to the right desk!
You guys Rock!
Many thanks to The Watchman for reporting on stories that others won’t, getting things out of the darkness and into the light of day.
Thank you for the initial “heads up”! Without your work, I would not have had the opportunity to voice my objection to the Fair. Great work!!!
Yes! Thank you, Joel! May you be blessed beyond measure in this life and the next.
It is encouraging to know the community came together and were heard. Definitely not family healthy entertainment.
It was for ages 18 and up, and no one was forcing you to go. But that wasn’t enough, was it? God only knows how many death threats the folks at Tanana Valley State Fair were getting.
No, that was not enough. Conservatives pretty much never make “death threats”, always leftists who make death threats and engage in violence.
No one is forcing you to conduct yourself like a revolting degenerate either, Paul, but here you are, whining about public decency having been preserved and hysterically raving about imaginary death threats instead of just retreating to your closet where nobody really cares all that much what you do.
Death threats for canceling the lgbt event? We know how many of the recent shooters have been lgbt and how prone to violence they are. Let them have their own events away from normal people. Stop hijacking normal people.
Just another example of the new “Cancel Culture.”
You seem like you might be a little butt hurt there, Paulie. Perhaps a little less so than you were looking forward to come fair time? Shame, really. Check w/ Manny as he is likely sporting the cure for what ails you… or will. Toodles.
Cancel culture? No this is the people putting your radical social revolution down. Everyone is sick of the constant degenerate propaganda. You’re all being shoved back in the closet for good. Get used to it.
Thank you, Alaska Watchman for reporting on this!
Good news is that a strong public voice gets results; we’ll need that as we confront the greatest threat to America: unelected billionaire non citizen Musk and his DOGE-bags plus weak loser Trump
Bad news is that ethically and morally constipated Christians have forced their intolerance on the rest of our community. Again.
3% of the population wish to control the traditional events of a conservative, family oriented annual event. No. Nope. Not even.
Bye now.
3% of what or whom?
Guess what…most of us un-religious people don’t want that nasty degenerate crap spread around, either.
Honestly, Paul, I expect you can go pay the cover charge at your local degenerate bar and watch as many men dressing in woman-face as you like. No reason to put it at the fair except to stick your finger in everyone’s eye. There is a time and place for everything, even your perverted pastime, but the State Fair is not it. Nobody got judged, just called by what they are. Discernment is not judgmentalism, it is prudent.
Thank you Joel for the initial heads up on this planned event and the links to contact those in charge of it. To read your update today was more than encouraging. As Bonhoeffer said,
“Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
Thank you Joel for the initial heads up on this planned event and the links to contact those in charge of it. To read your update today was more than encouraging. Follow up action to stop the Alphabet Mafia takeover of the open board positions will be crucial to keeping the Fair family friendly and perversion free.
Perhaps a ‘Family Friendly Fair’ is still possible.
Those poor fella’s, they were looking to having so much fun with the kiddies.
this is proof that we live in a constitutional Republic! WE THE PEOPLE MADE THIS HAPPEN! Thank you Joel for the reminder and the forum!
TIME TO RECALL DUNLEAVY, WE DONT NEED HIM!
That’s too bad, drag shows are a hoot. Hopefully they will find a venue right outside the fairgrounds to put on their show. You people are such idiots.