September 2, 2026
Gender ideology: Portland Public Schools feature drag performer in welcome video
AFA Action CEO: ‘Parents aren’t sending their children to school so government employees can drown them in ideological Kool-Aid and attempt to shape their views on sex and gender’
TUPELO, Miss. — The 2026-2027 school year is off to a troubling start for one school district that is quickly grooming impressionable minds into gender ideology. In a Facebook welcome-back video for teachers, principals and staff of Portland Public Schools (PPS), viewers were greeted with a drag performer, who expressed gratitude for district employees embarking on the coming school year. Drag performer Poison Waters, whose legal name is Kevin Cook, was identified in the video as an advocate, educator and host.
A Fox News article reported that “the video drew attention weeks after Portland mother Allison Roberts sued PPS and her children’s elementary school, alleging officials retaliated against her for objecting to gender-identity curriculum and an intersex-inclusive Progress Pride flag.”
“Portland Public Schools just made its priorities crystal clear — and academics apparently aren’t at the top of the list. At a time when parents are asking schools to get back to the basics, district leaders chose to put a drag performer front and center in their welcome-back message,” said Walker Wildmon, CEO of AFA Action, the governmental affairs affiliate of the American Family Association.
“Parents aren’t sending their children to school so government employees can drown them in ideological Kool-Aid and attempt to shape their views on sex and gender. Teach them to read. Teach them to write. Teach them math, science and history. Schools have enough work to do without trying to take on the job of raising someone else’s children. Children belong to their parents, not the government. Parents — not school administrators — have the right and responsibility to shape their children’s values. Portland Public Schools needs to remember who works for whom.”
AFA Action is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical family values in society and government by shaping public policy through education and advocacy. The mission of AFA Action is to inform and mobilize individuals to strengthen the biblical foundations of America by persuading individuals with the truth of the Gospel, challenging the lost to repent, promoting societal values that are consistent with Scripture, restraining evil and exposing the works of darkness, motivating people to take a stand on cultural and moral issues, and encouraging Christians to bear witness to the world the love of Jesus Christ. Find AFA Action Alerts here.
For more information on the American Family Association, visitwww.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or X.
For more information on AFA Action, visitwww.afaaction.net or follow AFA Action on Facebook or X.
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To interview an AFA or AFA Action spokesperson, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
