Premier's Stage Appearance Criticized by Shelton
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is facing calls from Family First National Director Lyle Shelton to distance herself from drag performer Frock Hudson. This follows her appearance with him at the Pride in the Park event in Bendigo last weekend.
Criticism has been directed towards Allan for sharing a stage with Hudson, who is known for posting explicit content online. Shelton argues this raises questions about the Premier’s judgment and the standards being set for children.
“Parents have every right to be concerned when their Premier shares a platform with a performer who has posted explicit, sexualised images of himself online,” Shelton stated.
Concerns About Role Models
Frock Hudson, also known as Dean Arcuri, has frequently participated in Drag Queen Story Time events in Melbourne and regional Victoria, reading to young children. These events have been criticised by Shelton, who questions the suitability of gender-fluid and sexualised performers engaging with children.
He emphasised, “People like Frock Hudson are not appropriate role models for children, and governments should not be legitimising or promoting them in family or community settings.”
The legal dispute involving Shelton and drag queens, including Hudson, centers on images from Hudson’s social media used on Shelton’s website. He has refused to remove these images, asserting the public’s right to be informed about individuals presented as suitable for children.
Shelton is currently seeking leave in the Queensland Supreme Court to have an appeal finding quashed. The case has extended into its seventh year without any adverse findings against him, highlighting how prolonged litigation can be used to punish those who speak out.
Shelton remarked, “The Premier should not be appearing on stage with individuals whose public conduct is clearly at odds with community standards for role models for children.”
Family First continues to advocate for environments that prioritise safety and age-appropriateness for children, opposing what they describe as ideological experiments.
Shelton’s long-running legal battle began after he raised concerns about Drag Queen Story Time events and the suitability of performers like Hudson. He exposed their social media content using publicly available material.
He noted, “This case is a clear example of how the process itself is used to punish those who speak out.” No adverse finding has been made against him after more than six years of litigation.
Shelton insists that the Premier should commit to ensuring individuals like Hudson are not involved in events aimed at children or presented as role models in taxpayer-supported programs.
Family First will always stand with parents who seek safe, age-appropriate environments for their children, not ideological experiments that blur community standards.
