Former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron—a prominent figure among the religious far-right—was criticized after launching into a screed about the alleged dangers of public schools, claiming they turn children into "drag queens" and "strippers."
In a conversation with evangelical podcaster Elizabeth Johnston, he said:
“If we outsource our parenting because it’s easier or we believe the lie that we’re not qualified experts to educate our kids so we have to subcontract our parenting and discipleship out to the government, we’re gonna have little kids that come back as little Marxists, little statists, little atheists, drag queens, strippers, drug dealers, and you name it."
"Pull your kids out of the schools that are teaching your kids bad things and put them into places that teach them good things."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
He was swiftly criticized.
Cameron's remarks promoted the baseless and homophobic assertion that drag queens are "groomers" who sexualize and prey on children, but that's nothing new considering he's been openly homophobic for years.
Since converting to Christianity as a teenager, Cameron established himself as a born-again Christian and partnered with organizations like the Family Research Council (FRC), which states on its website that "Homosexual conduct is harmful to the persons who engage in it as it is associated with negative physical and psychological health effects."
Cameron has previously claimed public schools are “grooming for sexual chaos” and “destroying the church.” In line with his beliefs, Cameron once remarked on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight that homosexuality is "unnatural, it's detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."
His behavior hasn't exactly translated into critical success onscreen. His faith-based comedy film Saving Christmas, which was made simply to espouse the right-wing fantasy that Christmas is under attack by atheists who have tried to "take the holiday away," was universally panned by critics, and is often considered to be one of the worst films ever made.
