DRAG SHOW

NC-17 rating where no one under the age of 18 is allowed. ese drag queen shows should be treated exactly the same,” one commenter, who said she’s from Parker, told the commissioners. “ e purpose of an NC-17 over an R rating is because some parents don’t know what is wrong for their children.” e commissioners voted unanimously to approve certain fairgrounds policy updates. It appeared that this year’s scheduled drag queen entertainment would proceed as planned, not limited to an adult audience.

‘Erosion of family values’

One man argued the county shouldn’t allow performers to wear certain tight clothing in front of children, saying it’s “an oversexualization of our kids.”

“I think this is an erosion of families. It’s an erosion of family values,” Michael Campbell, of Castle Rock, told the commissioners. “And I do want to be clear: Nobody’s stating that we should limit people’s rights — rights to assembly, rights of freedom of speech and to be themselves — but I do think that the appropriate measure the county should take is to recognize that this is an adultthemed performance just like any other strip club, and it should not be allowed for children.”

JUN-JUL 23-16 2:00 & 7:30 PM

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:

Art Kerkezian, cochair with the Douglas County PrideFest, said the event last summer doesn’t represent the values of the Castle Rock Pride

About Letters To The Editor

Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules: group and the PrideFest.

• Email your letter to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.

• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.

• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.

In contrast with the comments from the public, Kerkezian said he doesn’t believe that drag “in and of itself” is sexually explicit.

“It can be — just like a movie can be X rated or G rated,” Kerkezian said. “We have put in safeguards. As parents who are planning this event for our children, why would we want to put in anything sexual by nature in that regard?” ose in his group “wholeheartedly disagree” with “taking away the right from our parents to be able to choose what is appropriate for their children,” he said.

His group has a clause in its policies that prevents nudity at PrideFest, he added.

“Douglas County was the cry of parents’ rights during the pandemic, and of parental right, whether or not their children should wear masks. ese people are asking you to prohibit our parents from choosing what is appropriate for their children,” Kerkezian told the commissioners.

SEE DRAG

• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.

• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.

• Please don’t send us more than one letter per month. First priority for publication will be given to writers who have not submitted letters to us recently.

• Submit your letter in a Word document or in the body of an email. No PDFs or Google Docs, please.

• Include your full name, address and phone number. We will publish only your name and city or town of residence, but all of the information requested is needed for us to verify you are who you say you are.

BUY TICKETS NOW AT PARKERARTS

• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.

• Letters will be considered only from people living in Colorado Community Media’s circulation area in Adams, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Je erson and Weld counties.

• Do not use all caps, italics or bold text.

• Keep it polite: No name calling or “mudslinging.”