GROSSE POINTE, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Members of a parent watchdog group want to know why a public elementary school in Wayne County allowed an LGBTQ pride event and “family-friendly drag performances” on its property over the weekend.

Welcoming Everyone hosted a one-mile march on June 20th which started in a parking lot near Richard Elementary and proceeded to Maire Elementary School in the Grosse Pointe Public School System.

“Family-friendly” drag performances.

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Grosse Pointe Public Schools Concerned Parents posted a video and pictures on Facebook of the events at Maire Elementary, which showed a drag queen dancing in front of young children and receiving cash tips from them.  One commenter asked, “Why did taxpayer-owned Maire Elementary in GPPSS host the 2026 WE-GP Pride event today — featuring ‘family-friendly’ drag performances with performers in revealing outfits soliciting tips from young children, and little girls brought onstage to dance for the crowd?”

Monkeys and kittens: an interactive play.

At a Grosse Pointe school board meeting on June 22, Rev. Richard Yeager-Stiver with Grosse Pointe Congregational Church thanked the board for allowing the group to have the Pride and drag event in the parking lot of Maire Elementary.

“This was our first year to introduce an interactive play for children and toddlers,” Rev. Yeager-Stiver said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “We told the story of a kitten who wanted to be a monkey. The children dressed as monkeys and cats and acted out the story as we told it. It ends with the line ‘it’s great to be yourself.'”

Another resident, who described himself as a health care provider, said he’s stood up for the LGBTQ community and assisted people with gender-affirming care. However, he pushed back against holding Pride events on school grounds. “The problem is the decision to have men dressed as women dancing in front of children and taking money from them mimicking what happens at institutions where scantily-clad people take money to dance has cost this school system money already.” He referenced a family who is pulling their child from the school district, as well as others who are considering similar moves.

Pride-related problems.

This is not the first time Grosse Pointe Public Schools has been in the news over Pride-related problems. Michigan News Source reported in March that the district banned a parent from his child’s classroom after he objected to a displayed Pride flag much bigger than any of the other flags flown.

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That appears to be the crux of the problem. One resident said Saturday’s event raises questions about unequal enforcement. “If the rules apply to everyone except Welcoming Everyone Grosse Pointe, then this is not policy enforcement, it’s favoritism.”

Michigan News Source contacted Superintendent Dr. Andrea Tuttle and members of the school board to inquire about the district’s policy and how events are approved.

Ginny Jeup, Grosse Pointe Public School System Board of Education Trustee, responded with this statement:

“District facilities are available to outside organizations under Board policy and administrative procedures. However, district policy also requires consideration of whether the anticipated use is consistent with the interests and reputation of the District. That is where many of the questions surrounding this event appear to be centered.

As I stated from the Board table at Monday’s public meeting, I believe the District should maintain a simple, public-facing system where community members can easily visit the GPPSS website and see who is renting District facilities, when facilities are being used, the duration of the rental, the cost, who approved the usage, and the stated purpose of the event. Greater transparency builds trust and helps avoid confusion.

In my opinion, a drag show that included what many would reasonably view as adult entertainment, including performers accepting tips from children, should not have been permitted on elementary school property. These facilities are owned and maintained by taxpayers for educational purposes, and I do not believe this type of activity was an appropriate use of that space.

This is not about whether adults have the right to gather, celebrate Pride, or express themselves. They do. The question is whether this particular event belonged on public elementary school grounds and whether it met the standards outlined in our facility use policies.

Given the significant controversy surrounding the event, I do not believe it should have been approved. When a divisive event takes place on taxpayer-funded school property, the public deserves a clear explanation of who approved it, what policies were considered, and why district administrators concluded that the proposed use was appropriate.

With regard to the approval itself, I have not been provided information regarding who specifically approved the request. My understanding is that facility use approvals fall under the administration, currently led by Interim Superintendent Dr. Roy Bishop. He would be the appropriate person to answer questions about the approval process and the details surrounding this particular rental.”