UK TV presenter, Rev. Calvin Robinson has won an out of court settlement after he was cancelled by the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) following public remarks he made opposing ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ for children.

The case has parallels with the vilification claim brought against Lyle Shelton in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.  Lyle was forced to legally defend his blogs and videos that were critical of drag queen story time events scheduled for children at Brisbane Library. While he was initially successful, the matter is now on appeal.  

Rev. Robinson had attended a peaceful protest against a Drag Queen storytelling event in Lewisham, London, organised by Turning Point UK. The event featured a Drag Queen known as ‘That Girl’ presenting explicit content to children. While the organisers claimed these events were designed to teach young children about “diversity and inclusivity”, Rev. Robinson and many others criticised the events as an unnecessary and inappropriate fusion of adult entertainment with children's story time.

After the protest, Rev. Robinson made remarks on his weekly program, Calvin’s Common Sense Crusade, in which he highlighted his underlying concern with such events, asking why drag queens were so keen on interacting with children:

“I find it shocking how commonplace Drag Queen Story Time is becoming”.

“Drag Queens are, after all, adult entertainment. Men dressed as women, often scantily so, in a sexualised manner, performing a strip-club routine, usually for cash. It’s not my cup of tea, but in a liberal society, I appreciate that is how some people want to spend their time. Over 18s, that is.

In my opinion, for children to be exposed to such behaviour is surely not age-appropriate. As a former safeguarding officer, I can tell you until recently it would most certainly have been considered a safeguarding concern. What has changed?”

The shock for Rev. Robinson however came when he was suddenly removed from RAD’s education sub-committee, a position he held voluntarily. The Academy cited concerns about his public stance on the drag queen story time event, suggesting that it tarnished the RAD's reputation.

With the assistance of the Christian Legal Centre, Rev. Robinson was successful in settling the matter out of court, receiving a settlement amount of £8,000 from RAD. 

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre said:

“This is an important win for Calvin and his common sense crusade. 

It is a loss to their institution no longer to have Calvin on their board. He brings brilliance, truth and clarity in the midst of cultural confusion.

Protection of the next generation means having the courage to expose the immoral ideology behind Drag Queen Story Hour and the confusion it heaps upon young children”.

Rev Robinson’s case illustrates the importance of fighting back against concerted attempts to silence genuine public debate. 

Like the Christian Legal Centre in the UK, the Human Rights Law Alliance here in Australia is committed to defending ordinary Australians who find themselves targeted because of their faith and their beliefs.