The Saskatchewan Rush have invited a drag queen and transgender artist to perform at their Saturday game — a move that created controversy..The Rush posted a tweet with some positive comments on it from their original tweet announcing the transgender drag queen Karma K performing at the half-time show..However, the first tweet had about 90% negative comments, where the Rush pulled the positive comments..Season ticket holder Tylor tweeted: “I loved having season tickets to Rush games, this is atrocious though. This is a family game, grooming children has no place. This just guarantees I won't be going to any more Rush games.”.Shawn tweeted “Why would you do that at a sports event? This world is becoming very sick and I won’t be buying tickets to any more Rush games.”.Mo tweeted “Wokeness is a virus that has infected literally everything.”.The second tweet with only positive comments also had about 90% negative comments..Kelsey tweeted “Lol. Ur NOT gonna like what gets pulled from your original post.”.Karma K expected “some hate” because of the controversy of drag queen performances outside of “adult entertainment” venues..“A lot of people assume that all drag is ‘adult entertainment’ because a lot of it is seen and comes from adult nightlife,” Karma K told the CBC’s Laura Sciarpelletti. .“Drag is so much more than that now.”.Karma K plans to change her typical performance to be less sexual..“We can adapt our performance style to our audience. It’s not going to be sexual in nature,” said Karma K..“I am doing nothing different than any of the cheerleaders you’d have out there, and if I’m honest, they’re probably wearing less than I do.”.Karma K is honoured to perform at the Rush half-time show at the SaskTel Centre..“I didn’t even have a wig for my first performance, so to think I’m performing on such an incredible platform like this, it’s so honouring to me. I so deeply appreciate it,” said Karma K..“Especially as a trans person, it makes such a big difference for representation. Everybody here knows what Rush is. We love Rush. If you haven’t been to a Rush game once in your life, or at least heard about it, you don’t live in Saskatchewan.”. Tyler Wawryk .Karma K said she wants queer people to feel like they exist..“All I ever wanted, at least in terms of my drag career, is to make queer people, especially trans people and trans kids, feel represented and see someone like them on a platform like this, to understand that they’re not alone in the world and that there are so many possibilities as to what they can do with themselves in their lives, and it’s not limited to what the odd movie and television show can show them,” said Karma K..Saskatchewan Rush Director of Business Operations Tyler Wawryk blamed a “small minority of people” for the anti-trans backlash and that’s why it is necessary to have a Pride night with a transgender drag queen as the half-time show..The Rush players will wear a Pride jersey for the game.."We wanted to have that strong visual of going out onto the field and having these jerseys and ultimately creating a message of inclusion and equality," Wawryk told the CBC. ."We want to be able to open our doors to fans to come in and hopefully be inspired and feel they too can get on the field or pick up the ball and be a part of the team as well. And ultimately be able to be themselves while they do that and not have to feel ashamed.”
