Iowa High School Halts Play Over Lesbian Romance
Administrators say the play conflicted with school “core values,” but many see it as censorship.
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Less than 24 hours before opening night, a suburban high school in Des Moines, Iowa abruptly postponed its Fall play, She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition, citing “concerns over content” related to a lesbian relationship between two characters. The decision has sparked frustration among students, parents, and LGBTQ+ advocates who see the school’s move as silencing queer representation under the guise of “values.”
The play, a dramedy by Qui Nguyen, follows a teenage girl grappling with the death of her younger sister while discovering her sibling’s secret life through the world of Dungeons & Dragons. A subplot features a budding romance between two female characters. Following the Nov. 6 dress rehearsal, the storyline and its staging were deemed inappropriate.
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Rebekah Haynie, a parent who spoke at the Perry school board meeting this week, said she supported the school’s decision. “There’s no shortage of plays and creative outlets for any and all types of belief personality ideas and identity. My issue with this play is that it is the central topic of the play. They feature characters aggressively making out that is the direct stage direction that’s in the play,” Haynie told WOI-DT.
In a letter sent to parents and students, school officials said the show was delayed to make changes because “certain elements of the production don’t align with the core values and mission” of Perry High School.
Online, the decision ignited a wave of commentary. Many questioned whether the issue was truly about appropriateness or discomfort with queer representation. “Does anyone complain about Romeo & Juliet ‘making out’?” one social media user wrote. Another quipped, “The characters will now be referred to as ‘bowling partners’ and aggressively give each other a high five.”
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Others took a sharper tone. “Gay teens exist and deserve representation and I happen to believe that making out awkwardly in a school play is a rite of passage,” one post read. “None of you would be making such a big stink if it was a straight stage kiss and little news flash most of the kids in the drama club will still be gay even if you make them kiss genders they aren’t attracted to.”
Another summed up the frustration in four simple words: “Pssst, lesbians do exist….”
The rescheduled and revised performances of the play are now set for Friday and Saturday.
