Progressive churches in Colorado and Washington host drag Nativity, Christmas shows

Progressive churches in Colorado and Washington are embracing unconventional celebrations this holiday season by hosting drag-themed Christmas events alongside their traditional services.

At the Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, Colorado, the congregation held its third annual “Drag Christmas Spectacular” on December 19 and 20. The 90-minute show was described as “a joyful, irreverent reimagining of the nativity story that celebrates queer joy, chosen family, and the power of love and acceptance.”

Promotional materials invited attendees to “get ready for the ultimate festive extravaganza” as “magical queers slay their way to Bethlehem,” highlighting the show’s playful blend of camp performance and holiday storytelling. The organizers also noted that the event included mature themes and was intended for audiences aged 16 and older.

These drag-centered productions, part of a broader trend among progressive faith communities, aim to blend spirituality with inclusivity, challenging traditional norms while emphasizing messages of belonging and acceptance during the Christmas season

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron, a queer-identifying minister at Foothills Unitarian, told Colorado Public Radio that he created the event two years ago in response to what he described as anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced across the country.

“I was kind of sitting with that reality, and also being a queer person myself, I was just realizing what the church needs to step into this gap and say something,” Neil-Barron told the outlet in 2024. “What if we created this queer little oasis, this little queer sacred space at the holidays for folks to come and see their lives and their community lifted up as worthy, which is so needed right now?”