Pennsylvania Diocese Threatens Legal Action Against Theater to Prevent Drag Show on Former Church Property

CV NEWS FEED // A Pennsylvania Diocese prevented an all-ages drag show from occurring at one of its former properties after threatening legal action against the organizers of the event. 

According to a local report, the Catholic Diocese of Allentown “forced a last-minute cancellation of ‘A Night at Disney All Age Drag Show’ fundraiser,” that was set to take place at Kelsey Theater on Saturday. The venue had belonged to the former Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, before its sale to Kelsey Theater. 

“In a move with legal implications,” the report stated, the diocese invoked a condition that had been attached to the sale of the building in 2019, prohibiting its use for causes that go against Church teaching. 

According to a theater spokesperson quoted in the report, the diocese threatened to take legal action against the Actors Guild of Schuylkill County should the theater use its former property to host the drag show. 

The diocese wrote in its statement:

Drag shows, particularly those including minors, contradict the teachings of the Church and our understanding of the dignity of the human person […] The Diocese of Allentown relied on the good will of the Actors Guild of Schuylkill County and the promises they undertook when taking ownership of church property.

The statement continued to express that the diocese “would have preferred a dialogue to discuss this understanding,” adding that it agreed to the sale “with the intention of supporting and enhancing cultural enrichment in Schuylkill County.”

The post Pennsylvania Diocese Threatens Legal Action Against Theater to Prevent Drag Show on Former Church Property appeared first on CatholicVote org.

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