Bangor High School held a speaker series for students aimed at promoting the acceptance and visibility of LGBTQ+ students, but conservative activists and news organizations published misinformation claiming a drag queen performed for students.
Two events were speakers for high school students and the third was a panel for students and parents. The goal of the three sessions, which took place in May and June, was to provide students and parents with accurate information, broaden their perspectives and encourage critical thinking.
The high school’s speaker series is the latest target of misinformation, online vitriol and intolerance from conservative organizations and individuals who in recent years have demonized members of the LGBTQ+ community and drag performers. When schools are involved, those efforts often include attempts to censor what information students have access to.
“Across the country, I see marginalized students having a hard go and I believe it’s my job to be encouraging of all 3,500 of our students,” Bangor Superintendent James Tager said. “Every student comes to school for some reason and we have to be a place where students can shine and there’s a place for everybody.”
The discussions were tied to the Bangor School Department’s larger and ongoing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging efforts, which the department launched in earnest last year after reports about racism at Bangor High became public in 2020.
A $15,000 grant covered the cost of two speaker sessions for students, one panel session for parents and guardians of Bangor High School students and six student leadership positions. This means no taxpayer money was used to support its diversity initiatives, contrary to some online scrutiny aimed at the school department.
Ray Phinney, spokesperson for the Bangor School Department, said the three events are part of the department’s mission to promote visibility and representation of the department’s diverse populations.
“Whether it be race, religious background, sexual orientation, gender or nationality, we’re trying to celebrate all diversity and make sure everyone has that feeling of belonging,” Phinney said.
While one of the speakers, Dominick Varney, does perform locally as a drag queen, Priscilla Poppycocks, Varney was not in drag during the event and did not perform for Bangor High School students.
Instead, Varney — who is also the assistant director of undergraduate academic advising and support services at the University of Maine and a local actor, director and singer — spoke about his experience moving to Maine from the United Kingdom and growing up as a gay youth in Winterport.
Varney’s presentation focused on his extensive theatrical career and provided students with inspiration, skills and professional development to lead and thrive authentically, according to the department.
“I was at his presentation and the way he was able to engage with students and help them speak up so that their story could be told was inspirational,” Phinney said.
The second student speaker session, led by an unnamed local politician and human resources specialist, presented data that shows why diversity matters in the workplace, the department said in a statement released last week. The topic focused on how valuing each students’ uniqueness can make them effective leaders for others.
The last session was a panel discussion for parents and guardians of Bangor High School LGBTQ+ students. The experts spoke about how adults can best support and empower all student needs within the Bangor School Department.
The grant came from the Nellie Mae Foundation, a Massachusetts-based philanthropic organization that aims to ensure all New England public school students have access to a high-quality and equitable education.
The three events took place between May 4 and June 10, and each event drew about 50 attendees, Tager said.
While the events were geared toward members of the high school’s civil rights group, any student could attend, Tager said. However, students had to receive approval from teachers before missing class time for the events and make up any class work they missed.
Bangor High School students were also the ones who requested Varney as a speaker, Tager said, and the students’ suggestions were thoroughly vetted by staff before they were invited to speak.
“We’ve doubled our multilingual teachers and have students coming in from all over the world, so I think this work is more important now than ever,” Tager said. “Our schools are changing and we have to keep up with that.”