Lifestyle1 min(s) read
Published 16:55 12 Oct 2020 GMT
A father has spoken out about how he came to terms with his son's decision to become one of the UK's youngest drag queens.
Fabian Butler's dad, Darren, like many parents, had an image in his mind about what hobbies his son would enjoy.
However, his son decided that he wanted to become a drag queen.
While Fabian's mother was fully supportive of his decision to become a drag queen, his dad admits that was "a bit more reserved."
In the video below, Darren discusses how he learned to accept Fabian's drag:
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"I had worries about him being bullied in school," Darren said. "And I just didn't like the fact that my son liked dressing up as a girl.
"It was really hard for me to accept, but I've come to terms with it because I know that's what he really wants. It's his passion. It's his dream. Who am I to stand in the way of his dream?"
Fabian's mom Rachel explained that he was inspired to become a drag queen by RuPaul's Drag Race.
"He'd heard about RuPual and once he'd watched the program, he was like 'Wow mom, this is something that I want to do,'" she said.
Fabian now performs as his alter ego Francheska Valley, and his mom explained why she was so supportive of his love of drag from the outset.
"[If you have] a child who is the same as Fabian, let them express themselves. If you try and say, 'Oh you're not doing that,' I think that they will rebel. Just let your children be who they want to be."
Darren said he came around to Fabian's drag when he saw how confident and happy it made him.
"His confidence his sky-high," Fabian's dad said. "I was worried about him when really he's not worried about it at all. It's just second nature to him. You couldn't change it if you tried."
Not only this, but Darren said that his now 11-year-old son is inspiring others to talk about expressing themselves in ways that they see fit.
"He inspires other children to talk about it," he said. "That it is fine to dress up as a kid. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you've got the support of family and friends."
