Staying silent isn’t leadership. Richland must take official stand on drag shows | Opinion
If the record-setting crowd at this week’s Richland City Council meeting is any indication, the controversy over drag shows in the community is not going to simply fade away.
Citizens are looking for leadership from their elected officials on this issue and they should get it.
Tim Thornton, manager of the Emerald of Siam, approached the city council a few weeks ago looking for support because his workers were getting harassed over an upcoming all-ages drag show.
But instead of getting the help he sought, his plea was turned against him.
Mayor Pro Tem Theresa Richardson told him she was sad that the drag show was going to be held on Easter Sunday, and that the event doesn’t reflect the community’s values.
She had been contacted by citizens upset about the show, and encouraged them to send polite notes to the restaurant explaining their concerns.
If Thornton left that meeting feeling betrayed by his elected leaders, we couldn’t blame him.
Richardson didn’t intend to escalate the tension, but that’s what has happened. When you are an elected official, your words are loaded and carry more weight than a citizen on the street.
The drag show went on as scheduled, but the restaurant was vandalized the morning before the event. Afterward, a threat came to the restaurant that is so serious the Richland police and FBI are investigating.
This is shocking and it must be taken seriously by city leaders.
In addition, Richardson has now been on the receiving end of nasty messages, and that’s unacceptable as well.
So what happens now?
The crowd that packed City Hall on Tuesday was looking to the council to answer that question.
Many in the crowd clearly support the Emerald of Siam and want the all-ages drag shows to continue with assurances that city officials have their backs.
The restaurant has been in business in Richland for decades and has a reputation for being a go-to place to hold fund-raisers when people are in need, and that includes schools, sports teams and other organizations looking for help.
Owner Dara Quinn is active in the community and serves on the board of Visit Tri-Cities. Over the years, she has made sure the restaurant first started by her mom 40 years ago is a place that features a wide variety of entertainment — including high school jazz bands and up-and-coming musicians looking for a welcoming place to perform.
The drag show is an event the restaurant has held regularly for at least six years and there have been no problems until now.
But drag shows have become the latest anti-LGBQT target nationwide, even though men have been performing as women for centuries.
Some of the Tri-Citians who attended the packed Richland Council meeting Tuesday night were supportive of Richardson. A few seemed to be against drag shows in general, while others emphasized they just don’t want children to be in attendance.
The thing is, children aren’t going to wander into the Emerald of Siam on their own. Their parents bring them.
And judging by what many drag show supporters told the council, for some families the all ages shows are a way to help them feel more connected to the community.
So the idea that drag shows go against “community’s values” doesn’t exactly fit.
If we want to talk about community values, we should all be able to agree that there’s no place for hate, bigotry or threats of violence in the Tri-Cities.
Unfortunately, the coupling of Richardson’s words with the silence from the rest of the council has led to division and insecurity — especially among those who associate with and support the LGBTQ community.
The city failed the Emerald of Siam early on when it first needed help.
The Richland City Council needs to fix that mistake, and not just give lip-service to the generic statement it issued the next day saying the city reaffirms its commitment to being a “progressive, safe and family-friendly community that welcomes diversity.”
This story was originally published April 20, 2023 at 12:26 PM.