Drag queen Courtney Act on Little Kids, Big Talk. Photo / Facebook
An ABC segment featuring a drag queen answering children's questions about gender identity has been praised as "beautiful" by viewers.
Courtney Act, whose real name is Shane Jenek, took part in Little Kids, Big Talk, a social media video series produced by the broadcaster.
The latest episode featuring six children interviewing the RuPaul's Drag Race star has been viewed more than 770,000 times since being posted to the ABC Kids Community Facebook page on Friday.
"Why is all drag queens so beautiful?" one girl asks the 39-year-old in the video.
"Oh wow – well, that's a very lovely compliment," he replies.
"I think the cool thing about drag is that it's about expressing how you feel, and I think that there's something really beautiful about people being themselves."
Another boy asks whether people treat him differently "when you're Shane".
"They do actually, it's quite interesting because when I am dressed up as Shane … I present looking like a boy and people treat me differently," he says.
"Regardless of how I look, the world looks the same to me, but sometimes people look differently and react differently to me depending on how I'm dressed."
Another asks whether he likes being "called a boy or a girl".
"I don't really mind," he says.
"I find that as long as people are being kind and polite, then that is what is important. And I always find that whatever someone tells you that they want to be called, it's always best to listen to them and call them the name that they want to be called."
Jenek was also asked about his hardest experiences growing up.
"I was a young boy and people told me that boys should look or act or even feel a certain way and I always enjoyed more of the things that the girls liked when I was at school," he says.
"And sometimes people said that boys shouldn't like girls things and that boys should like sport and football and I preferred dancing and singing and colourful, fun things."
He offered encouragement to one boy who likes ballet.
"I think the world is changing and people are coming to understand that everybody, regardless of your body parts, should be able to do whatever they want to do," he says.
Jenek, who is also hosting ABC interview series One Plus One this month as Courtney Act, has described himself as "pansexual, polyamorous and genderfluid".
Many Facebook users praised the ABC Kids segment.
"Freaking love how we are normalising gender fluidity for the younger generation," one woman wrote. "Courtney looks absolutely gorgeous and those kids are really open minded! Great to see."
Breaking: The ABC has just removed the link on the ABC Kids Community Page to Courtney Act’s Facebook page (compare the screenshots) - a page filled with sexualised & gender-fluid imagery. To see where the ABC was sending children, you can read my blog: https://t.co/JG2OgCZgwT pic.twitter.com/NKg5OjP6qO
— Lyle Shelton (@LyleShelton) June 20, 2021
Another said, "This so beautiful and the kids are so cute asking some very good questions. Courtney was amazing with the kids. Kids behave with what they are taught at home. Always be kind to everyone no matter what race, religion or gender – this is what I've tried to instil in my son."
Another added, "Love how they are so open and accepting. Gives me happy feels that their generation will normalise the rainbow community. Congratulations to their parents, too."
Not all of the responses were positive.
"Let kids be kids," one woman wrote.
"There is a place and time for people to pursue this sort of behaviour and lifestyle if they want to and that's when they are adults. Please stop confusing children and influencing them to go down that path where they can ruin their lives."
Former Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton slammed the ABC, accusing the national broadcaster of "indoctrinating children".
The conservative political activist said on Sunday that the ABC had removed a hyperlink to Courtney Act's Facebook page from the original post after he raised questions about the "sexualised" content posted by the drag queen.
The ABC has been contacted for comment.