Drag Queen Story Time at the British Library

Absolute respect and gratitude to those who did email though. We DO need to keep going...

Those pitiful, la-la-la can't hear you responses were exactly why, for the first time since I fell into this dystopian rabbit hole 3 years ago, I couldn't bring myself to spend time writing a complaint.

It's coming from high up and the policies are already in place. I suspect they actually look on complaints from boring, old fashioned, wrong-sort-of-women as a validation of their progressive wokeness.

I have now replied back to their response

Drag Queen definition

a usually gay man who dresses as a woman and performs as an entertainer especially to caricature stereotypically vampish women.

Vampish caricatures of women, hardly childhood role models or entertainment, surely?

Vampish

a woman who uses her charms or wiles to seduce and exploit men.

Not exactly appropriate for young children is it?

So how have you changed this tacky, offensive adult entertainment beyond recognition to be child friendly and so that it poses no safeguarding risks?

Regards

Heard back from the BL today and this is what they had to say for themselves.

@WheresTheEvidence

You can feedback from a mother of a two year old DD at nursery - me- that I would complain to the nursery and ofsted if my nursery took my child to see sexist, sexualised characterisations of womanhood. Google pictures of the drag queen online - and show the sexualised pictures to your management and inform parents will google too.

If the nursery wants to burst sexist stereotypes - laudable - get a female mechanic and a male beautician to visit etc... It isn’t hard

Same as usual then.

Safeguarding concerns ignored due to fear of discrimination. Rotherham anyone?

Yes I just got the same response. Open to all, anti discrimination. Plain sight.

@GenderfreeLang looks like they've done a copy and paste response to everyone who emailed

Looks like they have come up with a standard response that they are emailing out.

No interest in any points raised - shameful.

The response I got from British Library

Thank you for your email which has been forwarded to Customer Feedback for further investigation.

As a result we have been supplied with the following statement :

To coincide with its current exhibition, Marvellous and Mischievous: Literature’s Young Rebels, the British Library is holding a free family day on Friday 21 February. The event, which is fully booked, has several activities across the day, including Drag Queen Story Time, where a drag performer will read Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, one of the books featured in the exhibition.

Drag Queen Story Time have made many appearances at schools, nurseries and public libraries across the UK in the past few years. Their performances are specifically designed for engaging with younger audiences, with language and costume appropriate to the age group. They embody the spirit of theMarvellous and Mischievousexhibition of being who you want to be and standing up for what you believe in, and we are delighted to include them in our programme. The British Library is open to everyone and stands with those who oppose discrimination in all forms.

Once again thank you for your feedback.

Best regards

Alison Whittlestone – Customer Services

Try standing up to discrimination against women then

Feedback from BL

To coincide with its current exhibition, Marvellous and Mischievous: Literature’s Young Rebels, the British Library is holding a free family dayy on Friday 21 Februaryy. The event, which is fully booked, has several activities across the day, including Drag Queen Story Time, where a drag performer will read Julián Is a Mermaid^ by Jessica Love, one of the books featured in the exhibition.

Drag Queen Story Timee_ have made many appearances at schools, nurseries and public libraries across the UK in the past few years. Their performances are specifically designed for engaging with younger audiences, with language and costume appropriate to the age group. They embody the spirit of the Marvellous and Mischievous exhibition of being who you want to be and standing up for what you believe in, and we are delighted to include them in our programme. The British Library is open to everyone and stands with those who oppose discrimination in all forms.^

Good luck WheresTheEvidence. It's encouraging to hear a child care professional standing up for the kids in their care. Definitely show your boss the DQ Twitter video.

Drag is sexist and hyper sexualised adult entertainment. I would not choose a nursery which considered it appropriate for kids.

History Month? I wonder how many letters will get a shout out.

Why is not relevant to small children though?

Needed to read this to help me formulate a response to my boss.

I am a nursery nurse and I know that my boss wants us to take a trip to the local library to attend a drag story time which will then be posted on our facebook for parents to see.

I feel this is my soap box and I need to formulate a response to say No its inappropriate. I have already seen a drag queen say her thoughts on Twitter which I thought were a very good point but this has helped. Thank you.

Manchester Libraries FFS

No, just automatic response from Camden MASH

Nope zilcho.

Has anyone had a response from the BL yet?

I’m quite liking the idea of drag bingo.

The responses in this thread show exactly why DQST is needed

Drag queen story time is not needed by anyone - other than those trying to push their own agendas onto children. You clearly don't understand child psychology; and you clearly don't appreciate how disliked drag is by many - for its offensive portrayals of women.

I would go as far as saying your children are at more of a safeguarding risk being raised by you

"I think that comes under the 'I know I am - but what are you?' argument"

I was just thinking that - No, YOU are. 🤣

The families and children that are choosing to attend this event are not being forced. If it’s not your thing don’t go. No one is making you.

My issue with this is, firstly, that libraries are a public space, common to all, and should remain open to all. They are not common to all if one particular group is taking over and pushing it's own viewpoint on everyone else. We then come to the substance of that viewpoint and who it is being pushed at. It's a viewpoint that belongs in the adult world of consenting adults and in the private domain, not a public domain aimed at susceptible children with no agency. It is propaganda, it is grooming, it is re-education rather than education and it does not belong in the common public domain.

If DQST is about exposing children to non-gender conforming people, and if children meeting female fire fighters, male nurses, etc, doesn't provide something provided by Drag Queens, could someone explain to me what the extra "something" is?