Republicans tear into Kansas’ Democratic Governor for taxpayer-funded ‘all ages’ drag show

Kansas Republicans are attacking Democratic Governor Laura Kelly and her administration over revelations that taxpayers’ money helped fund an all-ages drag event over the weekend.

Images obtained by DailyMail.com show scantily clad drag performers dancing at the Wichita event for both adults and young children.

It was called the ‘DADA Ball’ and it was advertised as ‘a free night for all ages of music, fashion, drag & dancing!’

One of the sponsors of the event host is the Kansas Creative Arts & Industries Commission, which is part of the State Department of Commerce. The department is headed by Kelly’s Lieutenant Governor, David Toland.

According to a KMUW ad for the event, “Chainlink Gallery Place is facilitated by Harvester Arts, in partnership with Bokeh Development, the Wichita Community Foundation and Lifeboat Creative and with support from the Kansas Creative Arts & Industries Commission and Knight Foundation.”

However, the department denied funding the drag show.

Kelly is up for re-election to the conservative state and is embroiled in an exciting race against Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

With only two weeks until the critical race, Kelly has so far portrayed herself as a moderate, even using a heavy-handed metaphor by walking down the middle of a road in a recent campaign ad.

There are scantily clad performers dancing for adults and small children

It was funded in part by a grant from the Kansas Creative Arts & Industries Commission, which is part of the state’s Department of Commerce

That would mean Kansas taxpayers’ money contributed to the racy event

It was billed on Facebook as ‘a free night of music, fashion, drag & dancing for all ages!’

But when the Kansas Republican Party learned of the all-ages drag event, it called it “shocking” and used it as evidence of Kelly’s “liberal” leanings.

“Laura Kelly’s state-funded drag show for all ages proves that despite what her glossy campaign ads portray, she really is that liberal,” Shannon Pahls, GOP state executive director told DailyMail.com.

“It is shocking to those of us in Kansas to find that our tax dollars funded the exposure of explicit sexual themes to children. Laura Kelly and her entire administration have to go.’

Kansas Commerce spokesman Patrick Lowry denied that the state government funded the event in a statement to DailyMail.com.

‘This is downright wrong. Neither the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission nor the Kansas Department of Commerce sponsored the DADA Ball event that took place on Oct. 22, nor have they made any relevant grant to any of the sponsoring organizations,” Lowry said.

DailyMail.com has also reached out to Kelly’s campaign for comment.

A similar event was “made possible” by Kansas taxpayers in June this year. Part of the ‘collaborative art program’ was announced as: ‘We’ll have a gay old time!’: Marrying drag & music in Lawrence, KS, photography exhibition + drag performance, by Fally Afani.’

The concept of drag shows for all ages has been a cultural lightning rod in elections across the country.

Republicans in the state are attacking Democrat Governor Laura Kelly for allowing her government to fund this drag show and another in June this year

Earlier this month, Republicans in the House of Representatives attempted to ban federal funding for such events altogether with a bill called the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act.”

Meanwhile, a recent poll shows Democrat Kelly is nearing a draw with her Republican opponent. The FOX4/Emerson College survey from late September found Kelly received 44.6 percent support, compared to Schmidt’s 43.1 percent.

The difference of 1.5 percent is within the poll’s margin of error.

Kelly’s campaign largely involved distancing herself from Washington Democrats like President Joe Biden, who preferred to focus on state and local issues.

The left has been eyeing the traditionally red state since primary voter turnout over the summer shattered expectations.

A record number of people showed up to vote down a ballot measure that would have opened the door to a limit or total ban on abortion passed by the Kansas legislature passed by the Republican government.

But that hasn’t stopped Schmidt and the Republican groups that support him from entering the culture wars by criticizing Kelly for vetoing a bill banning transgender students who were born male at birth from playing on girls’ sports teams.

A source told DailyMail.com in mid-September that the Kansas campaign arm of the Republican Governors Association poured more than $5.8 million into the race at the time — with $5 million more in reserved TV spots from then until Election Day on Nov. 8. .

That includes multiple ads featuring University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who famously featured transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in this year’s NCAA 200-meter freestyle final.

Gaines claims Kelly’s vetoes show the governor’s inability to “protect women” in her state.