Mom Applauded For Taking Kids to Drag Brunch: 'Call the Republicans'

A mom has been applauded after taking her two young daughters to a family-friendly brunch event hosted by drag performers.

In a video posted to TikTok under the handle thecuratedlobe, Tianna Bastien talked viewers through their trip to the event at the Community restaurant in Ontario, Canada.

The clip was shared alongside the comment "Someone call the Republicans," with Bastien taking aim at GOP officials after states such as Tennessee and Kentucky passed legislation banning drag shows from being performed in public or in front of children.

In the clip, Bastien's two daughters, aged 5 and 7, can be seen dancing with one of the drag queens, tipping them dollar bills and competing in a "Baby Shark" dance competition.

Throughout the clip, Bastien's voice can be heard sarcastically explaining how she was "going undercover" to find out about the "horrible trauma" kids at events of this nature endure.

Poking fun at the online fury unleashed by those opposed to events of this kind, Bastien goes on to explain how she got her kids to personally give one of the performers cash "because obviously we had to immerse them in the whole experience so we could document the trauma."

Despite the satirical tone of the video, it's clear Bastien and her kids had a good time.

"I didn't set out to capture the videos for the voice over that I ended up using," she told Newsweek. "I was just capturing the awesome, wholesome moments the girls were experiencing."

Bastien said she created the video as a response to "all the negative media" surrounding the drag community at the moment.

"I wanted to highlight the wonderful time the girls had while also showing how ridiculous all the haters sound," she explained.

According to a 2018 study from the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than half of transgender male teens participating in the research survey reported attempting suicide in their lifetime.

Nearly a third of transgender female teens have also tried to end their lives, while just over 40 percent of non-binary youth said they had attempted suicide at some point in their lives.

At a time when major stars like Kid Rock are reacting violently to news of Bud Light's collaboration with a trans influencer, Bastien was keen to stress that the brunch she and her kids attended was a safe space for her children.

"I fully understand that there are some drag brunches that are not kid friendly and to be honest I wouldn't want kids at those—because I want to drink and be vulgar!," she said. "But we called ahead and they said this one was kid friendly and the queens were the perfect mix of fabulous and friendly! They really made everyone—including the kids at the show—feel special!"

Bastien was firmly in favor of the underlying message of the event.

"Kids should learn to be loving and accepting of all and this helped them along that path," she said. " As far as the girls were concerned, the queens were gorgeous princesses and there were no questions asked about gender, only how they did such beautiful hair and makeup and when they could go again!"

The video has drawn a huge response since being posted to TikTok, accumulating 2.9 million views and a glut of positive comments.

"You are a queen for this," one TikToker wrote. "I'm glad they had fun."

Another commented: "Thank you for making this. People are more concerned about a drag show than school shootings. America needs to get its priorities together."

A third wrote: "As a drag queen this really warms my soul. Thank you for supporting the drag community."

Bastien has been heartened by the positive response to the video.

"I'm glad in my small way I could show support for the community," she said.

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