Drag kid’s story draws diverse reactions
The family of an 11-year-old
Brooklyn boy known internationally
as one of the city’s most-talkedabout
drag queens continues to
receive death threats, as well as investigatory
visits from city social
workers, weeks after writers for
conservative and pro-life websites
ignited a fi restorm over his recent
performance at a Williamsburg
bar (“His show must go on: Young
Bklyn drag queen forges ahead despite
outrage, threats over recent
performance,” by Colin Mixson,
online Jan. 16).
Mom Wendy Napoles said haters
of her son Desmond Napoles
— who performs in drag as Desmond
is Amazing — fi led more
than 150 complaints with the city’s
Administration for Children’s Services
after his December show at
Meserole Street gay bar 3 Dollar
Bill, which went viral when critics
attacked the performance as
exploitative “pedophilia” because
Desmond wore a crop top while accepting
cash from the crowd.
But Desmond isn’t letting the
uproar over his passion for performing
in drag get him down, because
he said the joy he fi nds dressing
up in wigs, skirts, and lip stick
is only bested by the thrills his performances
bring to his fans.
His story drew diverse reactions
from readers:
Suppose a male parent dragged
his 11-year-old daughter into a bar, to
perform for and accept money from
drunks? You would be screaming
bloody murder. Wilbur D. Horse
from Never Never Land
What is any 11-year-old doing in a
bar? Petey from Sunset Park
Read the article, Petey. He’s performing.
Mike from Williamsburg
It’s Desmond’s choice. And his
parents support him. That’s real parenting!
He looks happy, and he’ll have a
more fulfi lling, richer life than those
who judge and mock him. The times
are changing. Beach Haven Baby
from Sheepshead Bay
SOUND OFF TO THE EDITOR
LETTERS AND COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
Even though he is accompanied
by an adult, children can’t be in a bar
that serves alcohol, can they?
Willie from Sunset Park
So many good Christians care
about how other people choose to
raise their children, instead of worrying
about themselves. These are
the same people who want to make
women’s choices for them because of
“God.”
Keep your church out of my life
Desmond is amazing. I would
gladly cheer him on at one of his performances.
Gender is a construct. There are
some hateful, backwards people making
comments about this kid. Leave
him alone and get a life. Concerned
from Greenwood
Put him on TV, fi ne. I don’t agree,
but fi ne. The kid is too young to be in
a bar. Ian
from Greenwood Heights
This is sadly exploitative. I expect
better judgement from his parents.
Fred from Windsor Terrace
I support Desmond’s quest for performance
excellence. I appreciate his
creative energy and vision to craft
a himself as a pop-culture icon. The
naysayers are simply jealous.
My parents were successful artists,
and I appreciate the support the
Napoles family gives to their child.
Rather than suppress creativity and
crush his spirit, I am glad Desmond
is thriving in Brooklyn. I met them
at Wigstock on Labor Day 2018.
April from Kensington
I really don’t understand why so
many adults are overly concerned
about how a child dresses.
Are you people afraid that if the
child dresses too sexy, you won’t be
able to control yourselves? Mind your
own business. Getalife
The developers building two
luxury towers on a vacant Dumbo
lot they bought years ago from the
Jehovah’s Witnesses revealed new
renderings and a website for the
high-rises, whose one-to-four-bedroom
condos are expected to hit the
market later this year, according
to a rep (“Park and rise: New designs
revealed for residential towers
going up on old Dumbo parking
lot,” by Julianne Cuba, online
Jan. 21).
COURIER L 40 IFE, JAN. 25–31, 2019 DT
Builders Cim Group and
Livwrk’s towers at 85 Jay St. —
which the fi rms christened Front
and York after two of the streets
surrounding the city-block-sized
site — will rise on land the religious
group sold off for $345 million
in 2016, and previously used
as a parking lot for its members.
Some readers wrote in urging
the city ensure Dumbo is prepared
to welcome the high-rises’ hundreds
of new residents:
How in the world is the York Street
F subway stop going to support this?
What is being done about it? And
what a stupid name, very original!
Mike from Dumbo
Subway shouldn’t be the concern
of the developer. It should be a small
factor if anything at all.
If we were to dictate construction
by the subway’s capabilities, then literally
every single project going up
in the city shouldn’t be, regardless of
its use. Well-intentioned concern my
friend, but ill-informed. The MTA
just needs to get its head on straight.
AC from Upper West Side
The inadequacy of York Street station
has been highlighted before. If a
second entrance-exit were to be built,
it would have to be done near Prospect
or Sands streets as the station
platform extends in that direction,
not toward Front Street. ujh
from Westchester County
Save climate now
To the Editor,
I’m glad that Gov. Cuomo pledged
to fi ght climate change in his State of
the State address.
But to turn those goals into reality,
he must pass the Climate and
Community Protection Act.
The Act will move us to a 100-percent
renewable economy, while investing
in jobs and protecting communities.
It already has strong
support in the Assembly, the state
Senate, and community organizations
across the state.
Current scientifi c consensus is
that climate change may produce
life-threatening, perhaps civilization
destroying change — perhaps
within the next 50 years.
Only a madman would bet our
children’s lives on the scientists being
wrong.
There is no greater priority, and
no time to lose. We simply must
pass the Climate and Community
Protection Act now. Marc Ribot
Cobble Hill
Church will be missed
To the Editor,
It’s been almost two months since
a fi re destroyed the Emmanuel Episcopal
Church on E. 23rd Street in
Sheepshead Bay (“Historic Sheepshead
Bay church ravaged by midnight
blaze” by Kevin Duggan, online
Nov. 30). Workers have removed
most of the debris. But until recently,
the A-frame of the chapel remained,
a reminder of the uplifting spiritual
mission of the church.
Sixty years ago, when my family
moved to E. 23rd Street, we were
delighted to hear the church bells
on Sunday morning and see the respectable,
fi nely attired and smiling
church-goers, mostly West Indians,
walking to church. On Palm Sunday,
the parishioners would form a procession
and walk through the neighborhood
singing pastoral hymns to celebrate
Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem.
The rector of the church, Rev. Alexander
Gunthorpes, welcomed us
new neighbors and always extended
an open invitation to attend services,
which I did on several occasions. The
church also served as a meeting place
for a variety of groups, including The
Paper Moon Players theater group,
AARP, and Narcotics Anonymous.
Fortunately, for some of us neighbors
who needed a meeting place to
rally local support to stop a developer
from overbuilding on the block,
Rev. Gunthorpes opened the door to
us. Throughout all of our (successful!)
efforts to block the building of
a 10-story, 50-unit condo, the church
was strongly supportive.
Another group that met at the
Emmanuel Episcopal Church was
the Messiah’s Congregation, a Christian
Reformed Church. They too
were a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
That church’s pastor, Rev.
Steve Schlissel, likewise welcomed
all to its services. At Christmastime,
we would run to the front door to
hear carols sung by the parishioners,
who always stopped at our house on
their way to spreading cheer in the
neighborhood.
Several years ago, I made a painting
of the church. I’m so glad I did.
Now both the church and the great
old house next door are gone, and this
painting will be there to call up the
peaceful tranquillity that Emmanuel
Episcopal Church brought to our
block. Margherita D’Anna
Sheepshead Bay
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