Alabama middle school teacher James Miller under fire for volunteering as drag queen in free time

Huntsville middle school teacher James Miller spends his free time as a drag queen and has a Facebook page under the name “Madge D. Ivine (Miss Majesty Divine). The Mountain Gap Middle School teacher frequently posts pictures of himself on social media attending drag events like Drag Queen Story Time.

Miller recently made inappropriate comments at a Drag Queen Story Time that was geared toward kids.

At one of the story time events that was hosted at Hard Knocks Rescue & Training, Inc., an animal rescue organization, Miller made a comment while reading a book about a dog that hid its bone, saying in front of a group of children, “Everybody loves a big bone.”

Libs of Tik Tok first reported the story. The September 24 event was live-streamed by the shelter.

Miller, who has been a teacher for 27 years, responded in an interview with WAAY TV after receiving threats from people around the country. He’s worked as a drag queen as a side business, and it has never interferred with his teacher career.

“I became a teacher because I wanted to be that inclusive person that I needed when I was in middle school that I didn’t have,” Miller explained. “I’ve created a classroom based on that. I’ve created an advocacy for kids based on that. I became an activist based on that. I do my job well, and I’m proud of what I’ve done. I’m proud of what I’ve put together, and these things they’re saying about me are flat out lies. They’ve twisted it so they can make a lie out of it. I will continue to be an advocate for my LGBTQIA community and my students and for the ones tha are not a part of that community.”

Two volunteers/helpers of Hard Knocks Rescue & Training also issued a response on social media supporting Miller and advocated for people who don’t feel included. They emphasized that their mission was to work with, “outcast dogs and underdogs…ones that no one wants to work with.”+

“We would rather be excluded for those we include than included for those who we exclude,” they stated.

The group also called on others to come and help their mission and raise funds for their organization.

“You don’t have to be a drag queen. You can be a preschool teacher, you can be a minister, you can be anybody you want. If you want to come and support our mission and help us raise funds, which is all Madge is doing, please do.”

They encouraged anyone to volunteer. “We have absolutely no kind of reservations about people that we bring in. Dolly Parton, if you want to come in, please do.”

Miller says he is being threatened online, and his personal information has been released. He also says he’s received death threats. The owners of the non-profit he volunteers for says they have reported the situation to the police. Huntsville city schools stated that they are looking into the entire situation, but it is not a school related event, it’s a personnel issue and wouldn’t make any further comment.