Drag Show Fundraiser Canceled In Pryor Due To Safety Concerns For Attendees

An American Legion Post is cancelling its plan to host a drag show fundraiser. Organizers at Post 182 in Pryor said they canceled it for safety reasons.

Leaders at Post 182 said the idea to host a drag show fundraiser was meant to raise money, but because of concerns for the safety of people attending, it was canceled.

Event organizer and performer Porcelynn Torrelle said the event got a lot of interest from people in the community.

"We'll choose music and we'll sometimes sing live and we'll lip-sync and we'll dance or we'll tell jokes. It's really a broad spectrum of entertainment that we provide," said Torrelle.

Post 182 Commander Tim Lawson said hosting the 21 and older event was not a political statement, but it made some people in town upset.

"We knew we'd get some feedback and we knew we'd get some negative feedback, but we never dreamed we'd be talking to the news about that feedback," said Lawson.

Penny Neal said bringing the drag show to Pryor was controversial, and she doesn't agree with it being hosted at the Legion. "If the majority of the community says we don't like it, okay, let's just go with that."

Lawson said the controversy eventually escalated and led to concerns for safety.

He said they planned to have security, but decided it was not worth the risk.

"We wanted it to be a fun event. We wanted it to be everyone that came in attendance and paid money, to enjoy themselves and not worry about something crazy happening. And when we couldn't ensure that, then it was time to cancel the event," said Lawson.

He said the controversy caused by the event is not as important as his main goal, to raise money for veterans.

Although the event planned for Saturday, Aug. 12, is cancelled, Post 182 is still hosting a steak dinner Friday, Aug. 11.