Drag Queen Story Time

I can’t for the life of me see how DQST is any more likely to promote diversity or inclusivity than the Black and White Minstrel show.

It is a performance style and convention designed to take a perceived ‘typical’ characteristic to an extreme.

Drag artists are performers, not people with a protected characteristic.

How are they a role model or inspiration to children who may well be aware of emerging homosexual feelings? Surely true inclusion and equality is recognising different sexualities as ordinary. Not claiming that performers exercising a fiction built on clouds of puff powder, fishnets and 6” fake eyelashes represent a role model for any reality? It’s preposterous!

Children definitely enjoy being read to, yes. Why is doing it in drag necessary?
drag depends on gender stereotypes (grotesque versions thereof) for its meaning. How does exposing young children to that benefit them? Shouldn’t we be trying to break down stereotypes rather than fetishising them?

^Drag Queens have been around far longer than you have been alive - this isn't something that has "suddenly" happened.*

We are talking about Drag Queen Story time for young children.

Drag Queen Story Hour began in 2015 in San Francisco.

I disagree, this kind of direct action and words are what is required so that parents understand what they're getting their children into.

I hope we'll be seeing a a lot more like this in the future.

^You have not answered my question about who on this thread has said the existence of LGBT people is a child safety concern?

It's implicit. No one objects when straight people tells their kids fairy tales despite the fact that these tales are often romantic in nature (that is to say, implicitly sexual).

No, it is not implicit on this thread that the existence of LGBT people is a child safety concern.

I object to that victim/black mail statement used to shut down criticism of men dressed up as a parody of sexualised women to read to children.

That criticism does not imply that the existence of LGBT people is a safety concern.

Maybe write to Children’s Services and any Parents or families consortiums working with council.
Sarah Field (a former Labour MP and independent for Leeds last time I looked) was very active on this a couple of years back. I’m sure she might help if you approach her.

The fact is that kids would search DQ name on internet and bite more than they could chew, among other dangers.

leave kids alone is my motto

Drag Queens were definitely not reading stories to young children in public libraries in the 70s, when I was born. It is a recent trend.

Do you think it would be OK if a young boy wore a sexualised drag queen outfit on non-uniform day to school? Lipstick and wig and fake boobs and sexualised clothes. I mean, if its just fun dressing up would there be anything wrong in that?

It wasn't a grand day out, I was a student and working in the pub at the time. I'd no real interest in either bingo or drag, I was interested in paying my bills. 😘

So, all this time, you've been comparing your working conditions as an adult with DQST as experienced by children in a library where this is paid for by the local authority? I'm more embarrassed for you. That's an interesting choice of comparison.

If only you lot could tell the difference between a drag artist reading a children's story and a drag act.

If only you could cease the faux ingenuity admixture with C21 open-minded cultural maven.

It seems we're all in for a lot of disappointment.

If only you could tell the difference between a man reading a story to children and treating the boundaries of those children with respect and a sexualised performance by a man in a sexualised costume determined to violate those boundaries.

If only there was a big enough difference, that's quite a large part of the problem. If we're prepared to just ignore the utter misogyny of it, of course.

If only you lot could tell the difference between a drag artist reading a children's story and a drag act.

It wasn't a grand day out, I was a student and working in the pub at the time. I'd no real interest in either bingo or drag, I was interested in paying my bills. 😘

I think the point is that what we have witnessed from recordings of these events is that they are very sexualised in terms of the costumes worn and the behaviours expressed.

The question then needs to be: why are they behaving in this sexualised way in front of children? What is the purpose of such behaviour in front of children?

Not sure if you've met any kids recently but they really like dressing up and that is the main thing that a drag queen does.

Drag Queens dress as an extreme mocking parody of women hardly the same as children dressing up as super heroes, princesses or pirates is it?

"Why is it now suddenly a fashion to get men dressed up as as a sexualised parody of a woman to read stories to young children? What possible good intention can there be behind this?"

Drag Queens have been around far longer than you have been alive - this isn't something that has "suddenly" happened.

Drag Queens exist because some people like to get all dressed up and throw some makeup on. It's FUN. Your version of fun is no doubt different to what someone else considers fun.

Stop pretending that you are incapable of telling the difference between a drag artist calling bingo, and their drag act.

Drag isn't necessarily sexual. As I've said, I've seen a drag queen call out bingo numbers. Nothing sexual about that. You people need to get out more.

• It doesn't matter how much you repeat the same thing, it doesn't make it true.

• I should think your claims have largely not been acknowledged because people are embarrassed for you that your idea of a grand day out is a bingo session while you have the temerity to advise others to 'get out more' etc.

"What, in particular, makes Drag Queens uniquely qualified to read stories to children?"

Not sure if you've met any kids recently but they really like dressing up and that is the main thing that a drag queen does.

"You have not answered my question about who on this thread has said the existence of LGBT people is a child safety concern?"

It's implicit. No one objects when straight people tells their kids fairy tales despite the fact that these tales are often romantic in nature (that is to say, implicitly sexual).

Drag isn't necessarily sexual. As I've said, I've seen a drag queen call out bingo numbers. Nothing sexual about that. You people need to get out more.

Because dressing up is fun and many people like to see them all glammed up.

Even if you don't enjoy something doesn't mean others don't (I also don't think much of drag).

I don't understand the intentions behind this. Why is it now suddenly a fashion to get men dressed up as as a sexualised parody of a woman to read stories to young children? What possible good intention can there be behind this?

It can't be diversity as if it was there would be a trend of having ethnic minorities, women in traditionally male roles (eg female firefighter), men in traditionally female roles (eg male nurse), disabled people etc. etc. reading in libraries. You have to ask yourself why sexualised parodies of women are the people of choice to read to young children. And I can't see the answer being anything other than sinister.

Sneakerheads · Today 21:46
Re the video, I think that protester was brave but I wish she had not brought up autogynephilia and paedophilia there. It made it seem as though that drag queen was personally implicated which would be wrong. I don’t think this helped the protester’s aim to create awareness.

Any objections should be made to the library and council imo and maybe leaflets with more general points made to the parents. But she tried to stand up to this nasty trend💪

This has popped up from the protest earlier, a GC managed to get inside and film - its been blurred to protect everyone's identity

Exactly so. Council tax payers have a say in this and that is why it will be ended soon. It serves no educational purpose for children; there is no positive benefit to it for children. It is a waste of tax payers' money. I would much prefer for our libraries to be used to help young children make progress with their own reading and writing skills during the summer school break.