Drag Queen 'Letta Dicken' performs for kids at Pride festival

A Maine town near Portland faced criticism after a drag queen with the name, "Letta Dicken," performed in front of children during the town's first-ever Pride weekend on Sunday. The event, called "Together We Rise," was organized by the Windham/Raymond Pride Board and featured various kid-friendly activities, including an eccentric makers' market and engaging read-alouds.

According to WMGE, the town received over a dozen letters in the spring arguing that drag shows were not family-friendly. Some community members also expressed concerns about potential threats to drag queens. Although Windham Police investigated and found no credible threats, the Pride Board decided to cancel the drag performances, citing "deplorable behavior" from a small but vocal group in the community, the Post Millennial reports.

However, Letta Dicken, who claims to be "Maine's #1 Plus Size Drag Queen" on Instagram, attended the festival at the last minute. The performer, dressed in a sparkly rainbow jumpsuit, was seen dancing, reading to children, and singing "The Hips on the Drag Queen," a rendition of the classic children's song "The Wheels on the Bus."

"I found it really important to show up and be visible and help lift up not only the Windham and Raymond queer community, but also this organization, which has gone through a lot of challenges to get to where they are today," Letta Dicken told the Portland Press Herald on Sunday. "I wanted to help get out the message that love is louder than hate."

Volunteer Jennifer Curren praised the event, saying, "We've had them in Portland for a very long time and to have them go to communities outlying Portland is absolutely stellar. You know kids need support throughout the whole state of Maine, not only for kids, but I see many older couples here coming in thanking us for having safe spaces for the community."

Despite the controversy, Windham Police Chief Kevin Schofield reported that no protests or disturbances occurred during the event.

Ian Miles Cheong

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Ian Miles Cheong is a freelance writer, graphic designer, journalist and videographer. He’s kind of a big deal on Twitter.

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