Yorkville drag show debate devolves into shouting matches over place of religion in civic affairs at city council meeting

YORKVILLE – The on-going debate over drag shows in Yorkville continues to escalate into a verbal fight over the place of religion in civic affairs.

Once again, the Yorkville City Council meeting on Oct. 11 devolved into shouting matches.

This time, supporters of the shows attended the meeting. They charged drag show opponent Molly Krempski and her supporters with bigotry and religious extremism.

“Religion has no place in government,” Ashley Quiles of Plano said, often turning to face Krempski. “We have religious plurality in this country. You’re encroaching on the rights of others.”

Quiles charged Krempski with harassing the city officials as well as drag show performers.

“Leave them out of your crazy beliefs,” Quiles said. “Give up. Pray. Go home.”

Krempski confronted Mayor John Purcell and aldermen for the fourth consecutive council meeting, charging that drag shows at two Yorkville businesses violate city code and will result in dire consequences for the community.

Twice, after Purcell asked Krempski to end her remarks, the mayor recessed the meeting over Krempski’s objections.

“You guys are going to be held accountable for this,” Krempski told the city officials.

Yorkville native Sara Channell, now of Millington, commended the council.

“We are proud of Yorkville for committing to being a town where diversity and tolerance overcome bigotry and religious extremism,” Channell said.

“We support all members of our community, LGBTQ included, and it is important that those people too afraid to speak up know they have representation,” Channell said.

Krempski distributed to each council member a packet of photographs from social media posts by drag queens.

“They have deep wounds that cloud their judgment,” Krempski said.

When Krempski asked the council to open the packet, none made a move to do so.

“You’re refusing to look,” Krempski said directly to the council members, seeking to engage with them. At this point, Purcell asked the council for a motion to recess the meeting.

After Channell’s comments, Krempski spoke again, addressing the charges of bigotry.

“These people are hurting,” Krempski said of drag queens. “My heart breaks for them.”

Krempski quoted from the Bible and invoked the Ten Commandments, before Purcell asked her to cede the floor and then again recessed the meeting.

Later, Krempski spoke again, repeating a claim from a previous meeting that divine intervention is imminent, warning of “God’s call to obedience” and a “harsh call to justice.”

At issue are the occasional drag shows held at Pinz Entertainment Center, 1211 N. Bridge St., and Southbank Original Barbecue, 129 E. Hydraulic Ave.

City code prohibits the display of buttocks, but Purcell, who serves as the city’s liquor control commissioner, has said previously that he talked with the businesses and that they are now in compliance with the ordinance.

Krempski and her supporters first protested at the Aug. 23 council meeting, two days after their demonstration in front of Pinz, which was hosting a sold-out drag show for patrons age 21 and older.

The show at Pinz on Aug. 21 featured drag queens who were covered virtually from their necks to their ankles in colorful, expensive dresses. No buttocks were exposed. There was no stripping, twerking or gyrating.

The largely female audience for the noontime show handed the drag queens dollar bills as the performers paraded between the tables.

Channell, during her remarks in support of the drag shows, said that a person need only visit local waterparks to see buttocks on display.

“So perhaps the ordinances do need to looked at, to remove the language ‘buttocks,’ before they go after those places next for indecent exposure,” Channell said.

Throughout the meeting, Purcell sought to keep the discussion civil. When catcalls and objections from both sides of the debate were shouted from the audience, the mayor told them to stop.