The community comment part of Monday’s Fishers City Council meeting featured 5 speakers critical of Fishers Pride for holding a drag show during a Sunday Fishers Pride event on Holy Family Episcopal Church.  Those comments centered on what those speakers considered a sexualized event with young children present.

Organizers of the event responded that the drag show was in no way sexualized and the children present were with their parents who allowed the youngsters to attend the show.

Now, the leaders of the 2 major political parties have responded to this controversy.

Hamilton County Republican Chair Mario Massillamany, in a statement circulated earlier in the week, argues “images of a sexualized drag show targeting children at this event are deeply concerning.”  He also criticized Hamilton County Democrats for their involvement in the Pride event, as well as candidates for Hamilton Southeastern School Board.

Hamilton County Democratic Chair Jocelyn Vare responded by citing a 2015 proclamation supported by Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and passed unanimously by the City Council, declaring the city “must create an environment of equality, in which human dignity, inclusiveness, and diversity are celebrated values, and an environment in which discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.’”  Vare goes on to say, “A few noisy individuals have purposefully demonized a performance at a recent family-friendly community event that was held to celebrate diversity, inclusivity and love.”

You can read each entire statement below:

Mario Massillamany:

As Chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, I feel compelled to address the recent ‘Fishers Pride’ event held at Holy Family Episcopal Church. Our community values family-friendly environments and the protection of our children’s innocence. The graphic images of a sexualized drag show targeting children at this event are deeply concerning.

It’s particularly troubling to learn that elected officials, including current members seeking re-election, were present at an event featuring content inappropriate for children. Even more alarming is that Hamilton County Democrat Party Chair, Jocelyn Vare, was in attendance and found nothing objectionable about young children interacting with scantily clad performers. This lack of concern from local Democratic leadership and certain Democrat supported school board members is profoundly disturbing.

Furthermore, the reported inclusion of booths promoting divisive ideologies has no place at a family event in our community. Hamilton County has always been a place where we come together, not divide ourselves along political or ideological lines.

These developments underscore why I have become increasingly involved in school board races. We need leadership that prioritizes education and the well-being of our children, not political agendas. The apparent endorsement of such events by current school board members and local Democratic leadership demonstrates a clear disconnect from the values of many Hamilton County families.

I call on all community members, regardless of political affiliation, to join me in advocating for age-appropriate, education-focused events and policies that truly serve the best interests of our children and families. We must hold our leaders accountable for their decisions and the events they choose to support.

Jocelyn Vare:

Our city leaders made a commitment years ago to ensure that Fishers is open to all. A 2015 city proclamation stated, “The City of Fishers must create an environment of equality, in which human dignity, inclusiveness, and diversity are celebrated values, and an environment in which discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.” This proclamation was approved enthusiastically by all nine city council members (five are still serving as city councilors today) and the action was applauded in the media.

Contrary to the values of our inclusive city, a few noisy individuals have purposefully demonized a performance at a recent family-friendly community event that was held to celebrate diversity, inclusivity and love. These few want you to believe that Fishers first Pride event, well-known expressions of queer culture, and a family-friendly drag performance are not OK. They are trying to trick you into believing that you have someone to fear. They want you to cower instead of confidently affirming that inclusiveness and diversity are values to be celebrated.

These noisy, fearful ones didn’t even attend the event they are shouting about. Had they attended, they would have seen 1,200+ community members, parents with their children, teens, vendors and the leaders who embrace our entire community. They would have seen happiness and joy at Fishers Pride.

If a Pride event is not your thing, that is OK. But no one gets to trumpet blatant lies to the community with the intent to divide, ridicule and bully. Not in our inclusive community they don’t. This reoccurring selfish ploy is harmful to real people, our neighbors.

Stand tall, Fishers. Stand together to squash this nonsense. Protect our inclusive community. Embrace our neighbors just as they are. Because you are embraced too.

Remind city leaders that they pledged to serve all. Reassure them that we support the promise they made to our community. Sadly, they’ve been duped and silenced too.

The proclamation concludes, “Therefore, I, Scott Fadness, Mayor of the City of Fishers, Indiana along with the honorable members of the common council of the City of Fishers, do hereby proclaim the City of Fishers as an Inclusive City, proud of its growing diversity, intolerant of discrimination of any kind, and expecting all governmental agencies, businesses, and individuals residing in Fishers to adhere to the core values of equality, tolerance, human dignity, diversity and inclusiveness so that together we can build a smart, vibrant, and entrepreneurial city.”

Let’s reclaim our inclusive city together.