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McKenna, who chose Loyola University Chicago because it is a Catholic college, said he is speaking out because the drag show doesn’t align with the university’s Catholic mission and degrades women.
A small group of students who protested an annual drag show at the Catholic Loyola University Chicago told CNA that a group of counterprotesters destroyed their signs, disparaged their faith, and later threatened them with violence on social media.
Rising juniors Emily Torres and Matthew McKenna resorted to protesting the April 14 event, which has been held on campus since at least 2018, after school administrators refused to accede to their requests that the event be canceled. The students had told officials they believed the drag show promotes values in contradiction with Catholic teaching.
According to their account, when the two students staged a protest outside of the event held at the university’s Mullady Theater, a crowd of counterprotesters surrounded them and ripped up their signs.
Among the handwritten signs were two that read “Loyola pays drag queens to blaspheme” and “Drag shows drag down female dignity.”
In an audio recording obtained by CNA, one student in the crowd screams: “I hate Catholic people.” A roar of cheers can be heard in response.
The event, called “Drag Race,” was sponsored by the university-recognized LGBT club “Rainbow Connection” and the Department of Programming, the student group responsible for organizing events funded by the Jesuit university.
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
A small group of students who protested an annual drag show at the Catholic Loyola University Chicago told CNA that a group of counterprotesters destroyed their signs, disparaged their faith, and later threatened them with violence on social media.
Rising juniors Emily Torres and Matthew McKenna resorted to protesting the April 14 event, which has been held on campus since at least 2018, after school administrators refused to accede to their requests that the event be canceled. The students had told officials they believed the drag show promotes values in contradiction with Catholic teaching.
According to their account, when the two students staged a protest outside of the event held at the university’s Mullady Theater, a crowd of counterprotesters surrounded them and ripped up their signs.
Among the handwritten signs were two that read “Loyola pays drag queens to blaspheme” and “Drag shows drag down female dignity.”
In an audio recording obtained by CNA, one student in the crowd screams: “I hate Catholic people.” A roar of cheers can be heard in response.
The event, called “Drag Race,” was sponsored by the university-recognized LGBT club “Rainbow Connection” and the Department of Programming, the student group responsible for organizing events funded by the Jesuit university.
Continued below.
Students Protesting Annual Drag Show at Catholic University Threatened with Violence
McKenna, who chose Loyola University Chicago because it is a Catholic college, said he is speaking out because the drag show doesn’t align with the university’s Catholic mission and degrades women.
