Drag Queen Pastor Let Go for Promoting LGBTQ on HBO Reality Show
December 10, 2021
An Indiana pastor who dressed up like a drag queen on a reality show last month has been "relieved of his duties" and will go through a process of "renewal, reflection, and recovery."
Rev. Craig Duke served at Newburgh United Methodist Church (NUMC) near Evansville until Dec. 1, the church said in a statement to its congregation.
Duke appeared on the HBO docuseries, We're Here, which follows several drag queens as they visit small towns to recruit residents into participating in their shows.
During an interview with Religion News Service, the pastor explained that he anticipated a "challenging experience" at church following his performance on the show.
"Clearly, there were folks that were more displeased with my participation than I was aware of, or, at least, the group that was unhappy continued to work together," Duke said.
He was nominated to take part in the show by the River City Pride organization, according to a GoFundMe set up for Duke. The fundraiser describes the pastor as "a man of faith, a father, a husband, a social justice advocate, and ally for the LGBTQIA+ community."
He told Religion News Service that he appeared in the episode as a way to show his support for LGBTQ people in his community and for his daughter, who recently came out as pansexual.
Story by Andrea Morris for CBN News.
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