Lawmaker weighs in on dean's drag show lap dance

During Clemson University’s Pride Week, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Christopher Miller appeared to receive a lap dance at an Apr. 9 drag show on campus in a video posted by the Clemson College Republicans.

The next day, Clemson’s College Republicans spoke out about the incident on Instagram, describing it as “sexual degeneracy that spits in the face of the Christian population that currently attends Clemson University.”

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Miller sent out a message to the student body that called out “hateful and disrespectful” comments regarding the event, stating “I encourage us all to be thoughtful in our interactions with each other that could be deemed hateful and disrespectful to one’s particular viewpoint,” The Tiger reported.

On Apr. 19, South Carolina State Senator Josh Kimbrell wrote a letter to Clemson’s Board of Trustees stating reacting to Miller’s comments in the wake of the College Republicans’ statement. 

“This official stance against the opinion of the College Republicans undermines free speech on campus,” Kimbrell wrote. 

Campus Reform obtained a photograph of the letter from an alumnus of the university. Kimbrell also posted the letter on his campaign’s Facebook account. 

Kimbrell also stated that he and many of his colleagues in the state senate are “deeply concerned” that the drag show was “funded, in part, by University activity fees,” as well as the fact that the Vice President of Student Affairs “was videoed receiving a lap dance by one of the performers during the event and the video was posted online.”

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“Use of University activity fees and the implicit endorsement of this event by the Vice President of Student Affairs is inappropriate, and signals a decided Clemson University policy pertaining to this social issue that inflames passions on both sides,” he wrote.

Campus Reform has reached out to Clemson University, Christopher Miller, Senator Kimbrell, and Clemson University College Republicans for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

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