A disgruntled senior staff member at Tanana Valley State Fair is upset with the board’s decision to cancel a divisive LGBTQ drag queen show that had been planned for this year’s traditionally “family friendly” fair near Fairbanks.
David Leslie, who works as the fair’s executive assistant, is now harnessing his extensive network of fellow LGBTQ activist to pressure the board into changing course.
Leslie identifies online as a queer “dancer, actor, choreographer, fire spinner, filmmaker, burlesquer, writer and anti-fascist activist.” His Facebook page includes photos of him dancing on stage in little more than a thong.
In a July 15 Facebook post, he expressed frustration that the governing board did not condemn Fairbanks-area residents who expressed misgivings and concerns about the previously scheduled drag show.
Without providing specifics, Leslie suggested that drag show opponents are motivated by bigotry.
“In late February, the Tanana Valley State Fair Association canceled a drag show, citing threats of violence, yet the board never made a statement about it beyond their cancelation,” he stated. “Today, they released another press release, but did not address the bigotry and hate that’s been said at board meetings, in emails to staff and the board, and in phone calls that I have personally had to hear when I answered the phone at work.”
It’s unclear what Leslie was referring to with regards to so-called “threats of violence,” and he made no attempt to provide specifics. There was, however, considerable community opposition to the board’s now abandoned idea of hosting sexualized, cross-dressing dancers at the purportedly “family friendly” fair.
Leslie alleged that pro-drag queen activists have been maligned in public.
“These are people saying the LGBTQ community is disgusting, that we falsely are pedophiles, that we do not belong at the fair, nor do we belong in families or around children,” he asserted.
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Leslie then admitted that he has worked to stack the fair’s official membership with scores of LGBTQ activists in an attempt to influence future decisions by the fair.
“This is even after I got 150 of my fellow LGBTQ community members and our allies to become association members, a clear majority,” he said. “Yet, the fair, my employer, has not spoken out on the dangerous rhetoric being used that endangers the lives and safety of me and every queer person at the fair and our town, something I’ve told the past three executive directors in the last few months, and have said at three board meetings now.”
Leslie’s latest plan was to flood the Agricultural Museum at the Tanana Valley fairground on July 16 with pro-drag queen testimony before the board. He’s hoping to pressure them to “take action” and denounce what he says is “hate and bigotry.”
BACKGROUND
News of the previously planned drag performance sparked massive community pushback earlier this year, and the fair issued a March statement saying the so-called “Glam Show” had been cancelled for the 2025 fair.
Shortly after that decision, however, the board added five new faces to its nine-member body, many of whom are intent on reviving the quest to bring LGBTQ drag shows into the 101-year-old fair – a gathering that has been historically focused on livestock, games, rides and other traditional fair experiences.
The board convened last month to discuss the status of “Glam Show” performances.Bottom of Form Attendees were overwhelmingly LGBTQ activists, who were notified about the meeting with plenty of time to mobilize, even though there was no mention of the board meeting to the wider public, and no agenda posted to the fair’s website.
One of the new board members suggested the fair issue a public apology for canceling the drag performance and then create a new “equity policy” to guide future decisions.
TAKING ACTION
— Voting members of the Tanana Valley State Fair Association are authorized to select new board members to serve on the governing board. Members can also run for the board. In order to be a voting member, you must be at least 18 years of age and live within a 150-mile radius of Tanana Valley State Fair Grounds. Membership is good for one calendar year starting January 1 and ending December 31. To be a voting member for the upcoming 2026 election, one’s membership must be renewed after January 1, 2026. Click here for more information.
— To contact the fair’s board of directors, click here.
21 Comments
This is why the public is pushing back HARD against the LGBT agenda.
LGBT: We want to be included in everything.
Normies: We would rather you stay away our children, do what you want in your own space.
LGBT: No you biggot, you MUST watch us gyrate provocatively in public.
Normies: Ah hell naw dawg <——you are here.
“I’ve told the past three executive directors…”
When an issue has arisen three times and won’t go away it’s time to either look in the mirror. I’d bet a nickel that those you’ve complained to are tired of your crap, Lumpy. Shut up, do your job and stop assuming your employer exists as a receptacle for your BS. He likely thinks you’re gross. Go wash your hands and sterilize that ridiculous hog ring in your nasal septum. Pull the shades and dance in the evenings w/ the money you make at work.
“……..I’d bet a nickel that those you’ve complained to are tired of your crap, Lumpy………”
Fire him, then pay the lawyers to defend the firing. It’s that simple.
REVOLUTION, REFORMATION, REVIVAL
pray……………PREPARE…………..PROCEED
YOU BREAK THE LAW, YOU GO TO JAIL!!!
DAVE MAXWELL FOR GOVERNOR
I think the public has spoken. NO one wants violence. If you want to do your dress up/cross dress whatever have your own party and do it. That way we can elect not to come to it if we so desire. But when you try to push it to the public via the Tanana Valley State Fair, where many families with much different view want to attend without being subjected this.
Amen: to Michael , Reggie, Clan
The only bigotry I see is grown men wearing womanface and acting like whores in public. If they hate women so much, why do they want to parade and degrade themselves in front of so many of them? Nobody is saying they can’t get their freak on, but we are tired of them trying to gaslight us into believing this is normal and should be embraced. IOW, get over your bad selves already. We got over you years ago.
Men or Women dressed in nothing but paint and straps have no business in a family friendly fair/parade. If they want a forum, rent a club where they allow people to make a choice to see such things or not. No drag, no burlesque, no strippers, no provocative display of nearly naked bodies in a fair/family event on parade for all.
The gay community is only one of many groups, cultures, and people’s in Alaska. Not all need a parade or dance to prove they are!
The fair board should not be threatened by any one group for or against. The threat of violence says people are becoming unthinking destructive mobs.
The fact that the board member wants to feign distress, violence, unfairness says he/it doesn’t know how to be on a board. The fact he wants to stack the board, he should be fired, recalled, or suspended from the board. He plans to not be objective about issues.
Being a heterosexual i want to see a strip/burlesque show with real women. There should also be a male strip show for women. Let be all inclusive for everyone not just one group.
A truly inclusive event would accommodate those with beastiality and pedophilia interests as well.
Oh wait… yeah, those groups are already represented, the pedo side for sure.
Throwing a tantrum because you’re not allowed to act out sexualized subject matter at a historically family-oriented event? That certainly isn’t going to improve the perception of the alphabet folks.
You all are the biggest bullies. There is nothing wrong with a drag show. They are entertainers. They are not going to hurt your kids bodies or minds. On the other hand your hate will hurt your kids.
It’s sexualized misogyny. Go watch it at the appropriate venue. Hint: the appropriate venue is not a historically family-oriented event. Not allowing inappropriate sexualized subject matter at a family-oriented event is not hate. It is however common-sense responsibility.
I’m with jon. If suggestive clothing, dorky men dressing as goofy women telling good jokes are not your thing, don’t look at them at the fair. Shutter your children’s eyes as you pass and then go enjoy the things that you came for. I’m a vegetarian but I would never deny you or anyone a chili dog. I also don’t think cotton candy is at all worthwhile, but others do; what do I care. Teaching hate will spoil your children for years. Hate is pervasive and easily passed on. It can be deadly when fueled by intolerance and willful ignorance. Men with fake boobs. Who cares?
“……Who cares?……..”
You have a list of folks right here commenting who care, and there are lots more who haven’t seen this page or who have and didn’t comment who care. Obviously, the pressure on the fair board was significant enough to show that folks care. Catch the clue………….
I agree with Manny. As a man, we should all be allowed into female spaces, they don’t need safety, and women simply need to comply with man as the Christian god i tended.
Thank you feminism and the TQ community, you have helped restore the power of the great patriarchy.
Keep going. Men are also winning with women aborting their children. No children means no child support.
We win again boys!
Oh, Jon. Why do you think we should allow men to make fun of women? Do you hate women that much? We don’t allow minstrel shows either, although they were all about “entertainers” as well. Making fun of black folks is just as hurtful as making fun of women, hypersexualizing them and flaunting perversion. Blackface and womanface are about equal on the offensive scale. Nobody hates these people, they just don’t want to applaud their degradation. I guess you do. That’s your shame, not ours.
In October 2019 upon entrance to the Clear Lake, TX Public Library I observed a ‘family friendly’ DragKweer Story Hour event. To my astonishment the library personnel informed me that this took place weekly on Wednesday. What I observed was a 300 lb man with a beard, pony tail, Barbie Formal Wear 3XL tutu including taffeta head gear prancing around and groping little children. This criminal called himself “Lil Mis Hot Mess”
14 months later Lil Miss Hot Mess was convicted of felony child endangerment, kidnapping, sexual abuse and torture involving 7 children in the Houston area. Is this the kind of person Alaskans want to take over their children’s social spaces?
Fine example of a common logical fallacy. Can you identify it?
You have a list of folks right here commenting who care, and there are lots more who haven’t seen this page or who have and didn’t comment who care. Obviously, the pressure on the fair board was significant enough to show that folks care. Catch the clue………….www.best.work43.com