Savannah Hulsey Pointer, FISM News 

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Parents and concerned citizens are pushing back against supposed “family-friendly” gay pride events after videos from at least two events show children being encouraged to pole dance at the gatherings. 

The most recent viral incident took place in North Carolina, where a photo of a scantily-clad individual, holding onto a stripper pole with a young boy in her arms, was circulated by conservative account Libs of TikTok late last week.

The photo is part of footage that came out of the Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade held on Aug. 20 and 21, according to a report by The New York Post. 

In contrast to the footage coming out of the event, the parade advertised it as one that families could attend that would have “family-friendly entertainment.” 

“Join us on The Green for family-friendly entertainment and resources, including arts and crafts, community resources, a family care tent, and special speakers and entertainers, including Drag Queen Story Hour,” the event website reads.

Many conservatives on social media expressed outrage over the leaked video, including Republican political operative Matt Mackowiak who called it “child abuse.”

Similarly, Matt Rinaldi, Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas said participants should go “straight to jail,” and journalist Tayler Hansen said “America has a serious problem,” in response to the incident, according to the Post.

More footage of the event posted by Libs of TikTok revealed that the event featured a wide array of scantily clad individuals, which in any other environment children would be barred from seeing.

According to The Daily Caller, a topless performer was also at the event with her upper body painted as her only form of coverage, while another topless individual twerked, and a third gestured as if she were licking the dancer. 

A similar scenario occurred several weeks ago in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where photos emerged of a gay pride celebration that showed a young child being taught how to use a stripper pole went viral.

“Central PA Pride had a pole set up with an amazing instructor to assist,” the caption on the post read. “My kiddo is a natural!”

The event was promoted by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, who announced the event by saying it was his “honor to join with the Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania to celebrate their thirteenth anniversary.” The governor went on to say that the festival was a “time to unite and denounce discrimination and violence toward the LGBTQ+ individuals, to promote self-affirmations, dignity, and equality…” 

The negative response from the conservative community included Federalist Correspondent Tristan Justice, who called the incident, “profoundly inappropriate,” saying, “Gays who promote this type of grooming are doing such a disservice to gay people.”

These incidents run counter to the left’s outrage that they are being accused of grooming children through their insistence on promoting an LGBTQ agenda to today’s youth. Sen. Daniel Thatcher (R-Utah) has opposed the narrative of grooming, saying that as a survivor of sexual abuse, he finds his party using the word as a political tool “deeply offensive.” However, according to Thatcher’s definition of grooming, this is exactly what these types of events are promoting.

“Grooming is an act that happens as you break down barriers of someone,” Thatcher said according to NPR. “It’s especially heinous when pointed at unsuspecting, trusting, vulnerable children.”

When questioned about the event, organizers stood by the decision to keep the stripper pole. “The Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania stands behind the actions of Mr. Bentz whose Metro Enterprises provided nothing more than a vehicle of fun and exercise at last weekend’s Pride Festival,” a spokesperson for the event told Fox News Digital.