OK the whole drag story time thing

It’s not Elaine Davidson, it’s a British man named John Lynch, who used the nick name ‘Prince Albert of Camden’

There are pictures of them together!

'Perfectly reasonable point - why should he be kept away from KS1 pupils because he looks different?'

Kept away, and invited in to present to our read to the children, are quite different things!

It’s not a reasonable point, it’s a disingenuous point

In other words, won't answer can't answer so it's straight to the insults and pretending nobody said anything?

Yes sponge not sponge cake!

I'm also interested to know why the man with all the facial piercings would be a good choice, what do you know about him apart from a pic on the net?!

Also, what is the value in exposing children to people with generally extreme looks? I don't really understand. People in duster work uniforms or talking about religious clothing requirements would be more educational...

There's that bloke who has had a lot of surgery to try and look like a dragon. Let's get him in!

Why the desire to expose children to, let's be honest, people who are serious outliers on presentation in society, and, also let's be honest, often have questionable mental health. I know I'll get challenged on that but do be it.

It’s not a reasonable point, it’s a disingenuous point.

I used to see this guy around a lot. Nice enough chap, wouldn’t invite him to read to KS1 pupils though

That looks very like Elaine Davidson

Who I think is involved in some kind of workshops (diversity?) with children

sorry no time to research it, but the video here says that she does

Sigh yourself

Perfectly reasonable point - why should he be kept away from KS1 pupils because he looks different?
It's relevant to the drag OP too - surely it's OK for kids to know that it's OK not to all look the same, to be the same, that it's OK to be so called "different?"
Not "keep him away from the kids, he looks weird!" attitude

My point is that looking ‘diverse’ isn’t a qualification for reading stories to infants. As you well know.

ODFOD Willis, I’m a tattooed person myself, inc face tattoos (albeit more tasteful ones).

Sigh

I used to see this guy around a lot. Nice enough chap, wouldn’t invite him to read to KS1 pupils though

Why? Granted, I don't get the appeal of a face full of metal myself but that's just me.....
What does the fact he looks different have to do with anything and that he should be kept away from kids?
Going by that logic we should keep away people covered in tattoos as well.

It makes a mockery of the pretence that it's all about diversity and inclusion. It clearly isn't.

But it would be really good if it was. I can see kids being genuinely interested in upending gender norms when their world is so relentlessly pink/blue, currently.

🤣

Yes we had an elderly lady who used to push a pram all round town filled with dolls that were her babies . Definitely diverse and not NT. Lets get her in.

Victoria? My sister does commute via there. I’ll ask her...

Oh I've just realised - was the sponge like a man made sponge thing to stop her poking people's eyes out??

I thought it was Victoria sponge or something.

Still funny tho

That sounds like my sister. She does weird stuff and I really wouldn’t bat an eyelid if it was her. She’s not elderly so it probably wasn’t her (yet).

We also used to have an elderly lady who went around in a bikini covered in netting with a 3 pronged toasting fork with bits of sponge stuck on it,

It my god. That's absolutely set me off. 🤣🤣🤣

I used to see this guy around a lot. Nice enough chap, wouldn’t invite him to read to KS1 pupils though 🤗

Fresh?

Drag.

We also used to have an elderly lady who went around in a bikini covered in netting with a 3 pronged toasting fork with bits of sponge stuck on it, she's no longer with us sadly.

Point is that being unconventional =/= gay or even queer, whatever that means now (anything you want it to).

Lots of people are unconventional and or and about, the focus on drag queens is odd though.

I agree with the comments like
Why not people from all walks of life of a variety of sorts to give a range of role models
And
Drag is hypersexualised representation of females that many feel uncomfortable with... I grew up in 70s/80s with loads of men 'dressed as women' on the TV for comedy effect, I always disliked it and felt uncomfortable, years before I was old enough and feminist enough to really get to grips with why. What message does this give the girls.

I don't think it's hard to tell!

We have two regular characters around us (been here for years, must be in their 60s by now). One wears a sari and a rather ratty wig (they aren't Asian) and the other wear things like a lame mini skirt, rabbit fur bomber lacked and high heel boots. Also ratty wig. Nowadays we get a few lads in miniskirts being very loud trying to get attention and trying to catch peoples eyes.

Oh I forgot the 20-something male in the long white lacey slip dress and hiking boots. Hair (head and armpits) - au naturel - straggly and unbrished (as is his beard). Also tries to make contact with passers by, who just ignore him as he looks like he is spoiling for a fight.

I live in greater London and get the tube into town for work, there really aren't drag queens all over the place!

There's a man in our home town who dresses in a long cloak and has a long wizard stick and another man who likes to zoom along backwards in his wheelchair, but no fresh queens that I've noticed.

On the tube there are some very brilliantly decorated young people from time to time but no drag queens generally.

The comment that people wear so much makeup it's hard to tell is a bit odd tbh

The first time I went to Pride nearly 30 years ago I remember thinking that while it was good fun, and all the floats and campness and dressing up were very entertaining, if we had actually wanted to change minds fast everyone would have marched in their work uniforms (those who could), office clothes etc. Much more dull, but much more efficient normalisation than the more eyecatching stuff.

I remember when pride parades in my city were people marching in their normal clothes. It's was clearly a political march.

Pride (TM) is clearly a different kettle of fish, it's basically about overt public sexuality. DQST comes from the same thinking I believe, that our sexuality, and sex itself, has to be front and centre in public situations. My daughter actually came home from school at age 12 believing that being an honest open person meant you needed to publicly declare your sexuality.

Why does sexuality need to be 'included' over say, a disability or religion - and as the first port of call? I'd want the children to be educated, excited, enthralled by the reader. They are there to read a story not gove them a lecture.

Get a police officer in, or a firefighter, chef, nurse, lion tamer... a nun a guru or a yogi...

If a child can't ask about their reason to be there (from 'are you a boy or a girl?' - which is a hate crime these days to 'how are you a woman if you have a willy?' - also a hate crime) then they shouldn't be there.

Ps inclusiveness is a great idea, by the way, and I applaud the woman who wanted to foster it.

But DQST ain’t it, especially in places that police checks aren’t mandatory.