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'THIS IS SICK': Pride event slammed over video of young boy on stripper pole with scantily-clad adult

'To engage children in adult behaviors is sick. That’s not Pride, it’s grooming for future, sexual behavior,' someone tweeted

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: A recent gay pride event held in North Carolina has been heavily criticized across social media. On Thursday, August 25, several videos and photos of the Charlotte Pride festival and parade went viral on Twitter. One of the videos showed a young child on a stripper pole at the event. 

In the video, a scantily-clad woman can be seen holding onto a stripper pole with a young boy in her arms, who is also holding on to the pole. The pride festival returned to Uptown Charlotte on August 21, after two years of pandemic.

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According to New York Post, a similar incident happened in Central Pennsylvania on August 3. “Central PA Pride had a pole set up with an amazing instructor to assist,” the caption on a video read. “My kiddo is a natural!”

The official website of the Charlotte parade stated, "From our roots 50 years ago, when early gay rights leaders first attempted organizing in Charlotte, to our first Gay Pride Day in 1981, to the founding of Charlotte Pride and our first event in 2001, we’ll finally celebrate in-person this year all the ways our community has grown and triumphed."

The website added, "From 2,000 attendees in 2001 to more than 200,000 at our last in-person event in 2019, the Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade makes its grand return to the streets of Uptown Charlotte as we celebrate 20 years of Charlotte Pride and more than 40 years of Pride legacy in the Queen City."

'To engage children in adult behaviors is sick'

The video of the child on the pole led to widespread outrage on Twitter. A user stated, "This is not good. It’s one thing to have pride for being yourself- but to engage children in adult behaviors is sick. That’s not “Pride,” it’s grooming for future, sexual behavior." Another tweet read, "I am enraged looking at this. As a mother of 4 boys, I would not have been restrained if I came upon that scene." Someone fumed, "What exactly is that woman on the pole wearing?!? BRING BACK SHAME. BRING BACK PUBLIC DECENCY."

A user commented, "Parents who take their kids to such events where the blatant public indecency is at a peak - should not be parents. You don't love your child if you don't want to prolong their innocence, and protect them from anything that may distort them, confuse them, or traumatize them." Another wrote, "I can choose to be outraged and disgusted by this, investing energy and attention to something I’d never participate in. Or, I can simply continue teaching my children how to avoid participating in shenanigans like this. Redirect the energy."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.