Was your first thought when you read that headline; what in the heck is he talking about?

Was your second thought; has Renk gone bonkers?  Well on that one I am sure there are some out there that believe I went bonkers years ago.

Wood TV is reporting about something called Project 1 by ArtPrize.  Project 1 is:

the first in a series of temporary public art commissions in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the next evolution of ArtPrize, the international art competition and festival recognized by The Art Newspaper as one of the most-attended public art events in the world. 

One of the acts in the first day is by a group called Drag Syndrome.  This London-based group advertises itself as “the world’s first drag troop featuring highly addictive drag queens and kings with Down’s Syndrome!”  This group will perform with three Grand Rapids area drag artists who have various disabilities.

Jill Vyn of DisArt, a Grand Rapids organization was quoted in the article saying:

We sought them out because they are at the very highest level of disability drag...The work that we do is really rooted in raising the visibility, the voice and value of the disability community...We recognize that not everyone is going to love this show, not everyone is going to think it’s for them. And that’s OK

DisArt co-founder Christopher Smit said:

“Drag has never only been about sexuality...Drag is about gender performance, drag is about expression. Drag is also about ridding the culture of damaging stereotypes...People with Down syndrome or any disabled person has at their disposal multiple art forms that they look for to get out into the world their version of life and their own identity. So judging these people only on their Down syndrome, that’s the same thing as judging someone from race

Interesting to say the least.  Glad that everyone no matter their disabilities can get into the act.  Good luck to the group and the trio who are joining them.

By the way the reason I started this piece off with asking if people thought I went bonkers is the fact that why does the group have to be advertised that they have Down Syndrome.  Could they just not be a drag queen and king act with people who have Down Syndrome?

To each his, her, zis, hirs, eirs, vers, ters or eirs own.

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