Smithsonian responds after report of ending long-held drag shows following Republican angst (exclusive)

The Smithsonian Institution is disputing reports claiming it has decided not to hold its usual drag events after complaints from Republicans.

Institution leader Lonnie Bunch met with the House Administration Committee for a hearing on December 12, during which U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice, a Republican from Oklahoma, questioned him about the drag shows the Smithsonian annually hosts.

“I think it’s not appropriate to expose children to drag shows,” she said, to which Bunch replied, “I’m surprised, and I will look into that.”

An investigation by The New Republic found that there are no drag shows currently scheduled during 2024 at any of the 20 museums and galleries under the Smithsonian, which would make this June the first Pride Month without a drag event at the institution in over five years. However, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian told The Advocate that the organization is currently working to schedule several LGBTQ+ events during the month, some which could feature drag performances, though none have been finalized. They stressed that there has not been a ban on such events.

The New Republic also reported that the Smithsonian cancelled drag events that were already scheduled, as drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia told the outlet that after working on a show for the Smithsonian since December, the organization suddenly called off the performance.

“Every organization needs to be inclusive, and there are a lot of organizations that are not being," Gonia said.

The spokesperson told The Advocate that while some events involving drag performances recently failed to make it past the planning stages, it was "due to lack of funding" for the full program, not because of a specific show or its content.

The Smithsonian Institution is the largest group of museums, education and research centers in the world, overseeing galleries primarily in Washington, D.C. but also in the neighboring states of Maryland, New York, and Virginia. Its coalition of LGBTQ+ museum workers and allies, the Smithsonian Pride Alliance, has regularly put on drag performances. The group was formed in 1988 in response to the AIDS epidemic “to ensure adequate and appropriate representation” of queer employees in Smithsonian policies and programs.

Smithsonian Pride Alliance Leadership sent a letter to Bunch directly after his comments at the December hearing, expressing that the comments not only invalidate drag as a "form of self-expression and an artform," but also that they "hurt the staff who work hard on these programs and the staff who feel as though our bit of culture is being left out of the American story, despite contributing so very much to it."

Bunch responded immediately, explaining why he responded in the way he did while also expressing appreciation for the group's "courageous outreach and willingness to broach this topic."

"When the question about drag performances was asked in the hearing setting, it was asked in a suggestive way implying that the Smithsonian was promoting lewd or inappropriate content," Bunch said in an email shared with The Advocate. "My reply and reaction to that implication was swift to immediately stress that the Smithsonian does not expose children to inappropriate content. Unfortunately, as you can imagine, a hearing setting does not give you ample time to expand, elaborate or share the details and impact of all our work and content."

"If so, it would have given me the opportunity to speak more broadly about the merits and goals of our programming and content development and how we equip parents to make choices about what content their children experience," he continued.

Bunch has worked for the Smithsonian for over 40 years, and is the first Black person to lead the organization. He served as the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture until he was elected secretary in 2019. Bunch told The Advocate that “throughout my career, inclusivity and diversity have been at the core of my work as a historian and a leader."

"I am committed to ensuring that our exhibitions and collections reflect the full diversity of the American experience including the LGBTQ+ community. Our commitment to scholarship ensures that no one will be left out of the Smithsonian experience," he said. "I take seriously the concerns expressed by staff and will continue to do so. As we have reiterated, LGBTQ+ content is welcome at the Smithsonian. The Institution strives to create a welcoming environment to the public and our own employees through our scholarly research, programming, exhibits, and content which add to greater understanding independent of political or personal perspective.”

This article has been updated to rectify information in The New Republic's report based on information provided by the Smithsonian.