Posts shared in a parents’ Facebook group and the Massachusetts-focused conservative site Turtleboy Daily News criticized Diamond and one of her past performances, which contained adult material, saying it was inappropriate for the performer to DJ for minors.
Headlines and videos began circulating among conservative sites and groups about Miz Diamond Wigfall, the drag performer hired to DJ the dance, late last week. Sully McLellan, a junior at Triton Regional High School And a local group is putting together a Welcoming Wall, where people can post messages of support for youth as they walk into the dance.īut among the support from the local community, there was also frustration with the misinformation and apparent bigotry motivating the opposition to the event, particularly when significant criticism came from outside their city.
The event will be free to attend because of an influx of donated funds that rolled in after Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon clarified that the dance was not being supported by residents' tax dollars. Organizers say three churches and two other venues stepped forward to offer up their spaces. The uppermost point of the district she’s looking to represent is some 65 miles south of Newburyport.Īn outpouring of support for LGBTQ+ youth has followed the news. Andrea Egmont, Newburyport’s director of youth services, said the lodge pulled out after being contacted by Kari MacRae, a state Senate candidate seeking to represent Plymouth and Barnstable. But on Friday, the city’s chief of staff informed the City Council that the venue had decided to no longer host the event. The “Over the Rainbow” dance was scheduled to be held at Saint John’s Lodge/Masonic Hall, with organizers from Newburyport’s Department of Youth Services in affiliation with the North Shore Alliance for GLBTQ+ Youth.
Now, the organizers have a bounty of spaces to choose from after media drew attention to the stranded event. A small virtual firestorm and a call from an out-of-district state Senate candidate led a Newburyport venue to pull out of hosting a May 13 dance for local LGBTQ+ youth.