Anchorage drag queen performers twerked and pranced in front of Soldotna children at the Soldotna Creek Park. The event, sanctioned by the City of Soldotna, took place June 17 during Pride Month events, which celebrate gay-lesbian-transgender lifestyles. At least a dozen children were brought to the performance by their mothers to witness the sexually provocative spectacle, while other families were in the area by happenstance. 

 

Not everyone was happy with the overtly sexualized programming that was done on a taxpayer-funded stage. Some parents complained to the city manager, who said in an email that no laws were broken and that the people who put on the performance had filled out the appropriate paperwork. 

 

  

 

“We administer special event bookings and park facility rentals according to an established reservation policy,” said Stephanie Queen, city manager, in a response to one parent. “With input from our Parks + Recreation Advisory Board, staff, and the public – the policy is ultimately approved/adopted by the Soldotna City Council.” 

 

  

 

Queen continued, “… the policy is ‘content neutral’ in that we, City staff, do not evaluate or approve the content of a private person, business, or organization’s event as part of issuing a facility rental permit. We do require that events comply with all laws and current regulations." 

 

Article from Must Read Alaska by Suzanne Downing 

 

The problem is there were laws broken.  Children were exposed to very sexually explicit content. The community is angered over this event. There was nothing to do to keep children from seeing this who were going to the park to play on the playground. People in the community would be equally as mad if this was a male or female performing and tweaking in front of children.  

 

We would like people to be held accountable for their role in this. They have not even offered an apology for letting this happen. 

 

Alaska Statutes 11.61.128 – Distribution of indecent material to minors 

 

  

 

Current as of: 2020 | Check for updates | Other versions 

 

  

 

(a) A person commits the crime of distribution of indecent material to minors if 

 

  

 

Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 11.61.128Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.Felony: A crime carrying a penalty of more than a year in prison.Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060 

 

  

 

(1) the person, being 18 years of age or older, intentionally distributes or possesses with intent to distribute any material described in (2) and (3) of this subsection to either 

 

  

 

(A) a child that the person knows is under 16 years of age; or 

 

  

 

(B) another person that the person believes is a child under 16 years of age; 

 

  

 

(2) the person knows that the material depicts the following actual or simulated conduct: 

 

  

 

(A) sexual penetration; 

 

  

 

(B) the lewd touching of a person’s genitals, anus, or female breast; 

 

  

 

(C) masturbation; 

 

  

 

(D) bestiality; 

 

  

 

(E) the lewd exhibition of a person’s genitals, anus, or female breast; or 

 

  

 

(F) sexual masochism or sadism; and 

 

  

 

(3) the material is harmful to minors. 

 

  

 

(b) In this section, it is not a defense that the victim was not actually under 16 years of age. 

 

  

 

(c) In this section, “harmful to minors” means 

 

  

 

(1) the average individual, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the material, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in sex for persons under 16 years of age; 

 

  

 

(2) a reasonable person would find that the material, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, educational, political, or scientific value for persons under 16 years of age; and 

 

  

 

(3) the material depicts actual or simulated conduct in a way that is patently offensive to the prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable for persons under 16 years of age. 

 

  

 

(d) Except as provided in (e) of this section, distribution of indecent material to minors is a class C felony. 

 

  

 

(e) Distribution of indecent material to minors is a class B felony if the defendant was, at the time of the offense, required to register as a sex offender or child kidnapper under AS 12.63 or a similar law of another jurisdiction