Drag Queen Show Sparks Outrage at Saint-Quentin Basilica

The controversy erupted on Saturday, June 6, when a latex-clad drag performer sang the words “I secretly love to fondle my son” in front of the Basilica of Saint-Quentin in the Aisne department, according to Valeurs Actuelles. The performance, which took place as part of the local Pride march with backing from both the municipality and the prefecture, rapidly spread across social media and triggered widespread condemnation.

The incident occurred just one day after the identification of Lyhanna’s body, a case that has reignited deep anger among many French parents over child safety issues.

LGBTQ Association Defends Performance as Satire

The local LGBTQIA+ group Fier.es & Queer of Saint-Quentin quickly moved to defend the performance, claiming it was satirical in nature. A spokesperson for the organization explained that the song, titled “J’aime mon pays” by the group Sexy Sushi and dating from 2013, supposedly depicts a caricatured conservative figure who uses religion to justify having all sins forgiven, including child abuse. From this perspective, the association claims, the lyrics constitute denunciation rather than endorsement.

However, critics argue the debate extends far beyond questions of artistic intent or satire. The central issue, they contend, is the setting of such a performance: in front of a church, in a public space accessible to all, including children who should not be exposed to such content.

Lawmaker Files Criminal Complaint

Eddy Casterman, a deputy for the Identité Libertés party representing Aisne, filed a complaint with the public prosecutor for “apology of pedophilia and corruption of minors.” In a statement, Casterman declared that regardless of whether the performance was intended as satire, in the current terrible context, such pedophilic content that children could hear cannot be allowed to pass.

Casterman has also written to the Minister of National Education demanding the revocation of the association’s accreditation to operate in schools. The Fier.es & Queer association currently conducts interventions in middle schools and high schools throughout the Amiens academy after receiving approval from the regional education authority. The group also receives public funding through the primary health insurance fund.

Parents’ Rights Group Mobilizes

Séverine Duminy, national coordinator of the Parents Vigilants network created by the Reconquête! party, revealed that her organization had already protested against this association two years ago, shocked that it was intervening in an Aisne middle school.

The conservative Republican mayor of Saint-Quentin, Frédérique Macarez, who made the square near the basilica available for the drag show, defended the decision by citing freedom of assembly as a constitutional right. While acknowledging that the song was clearly not in good taste, she claimed it was deplorable to use the incident to create controversy rather than seeking to preserve the rights of children, women, and homosexuals.

Parishioners Express Shock

Florent Delaporte, who organized a petition to ban the drag show that gathered over 600 signatures, shared his experience with Valeurs Actuelles. He stated that while they could hear the music and shouting from the basilica, they truly did not expect such lyrics, especially with many children present in the area.

Part of Broader Pattern Across France

The Saint-Quentin incident represents the latest in a series of similar controversies that have erupted across France in recent years surrounding drag queen performances in cultural or educational settings.

In Paris in 2023, Reconquête! activists protested against drag queens reading to children at the Paris’anim Victoire-Tinayre center. In February 2024 in Bordeaux, a workshop for children aged 11 to create their own drag queen character drew substantial criticism. Later that year, also in Bordeaux, a performance aimed at children aged zero to three generated additional controversy.

In October 2024, drag queens participated in reading sessions at municipal libraries in Vouvray and L’Île-Bouchard. Similar events had previously sparked debate in Pantin, while the MJC community center in Toulouse organized drag queen readings during its “Winter Festival” in 2023.

These initiatives, regularly authorized and sometimes supported or financed by public authorities, continue to fuel recurring controversies about the appropriate place for such performances, particularly when children are present or targeted as the audience.

With information from Valeurs Actuelles