A library thought it appropriate to book this 'entertainment' for children and I feel sick

[flashbac]

I thought it was a joke, a photoshop job, a hoax even but it's not.

WTF

A children's entertainer in a library with this costume?

twitter.com/StandingforXX/status/1414247886242598912?s=19

What the hell is this?

@PRabbit

Grooming. Why are these people working in libraries?! Libraries are mostly staffed by untrained volunteers now, because councils didn’t want to pay for qualified librarians with safeguarding training etc. This is the result.

On top of that, according to the library, this booking was outsourced likely by a group that is going to be difficult to hold accountable with the dust settles:

twitter.com/RedbridgeLibs/status/1413975910433366020

"This event was arranged by Vision and not Redbridge Council."

There is too little funding for qualified librarians with good safeguarding training, and the untrained volunteers using external partners for event organizing possibly because they're aren't trained or have the funding to do it themselves.

Not sure how true it is as I've not found anything on Vision, but one of the tweets in there says the actual organizers have local councillors on their board. This just feels corrupt and rotten to the core.

I'm no longer surprised by the grooming, having seen the photos of children encouraged to stroke leather "Pups" at Pride.
It seems to rely on parents to understand safeguarding and child protection, they are being let down by public services.

MNHQ, this thread is not about feminism or gender, so please don't move it.

That is actually horrifying. I hope whoever sanctioned it is taken to task.

Not sure how true it is as I've not found anything on Vision, but one of the tweets in there says the actual organizers have local councillors on their board. This just feels corrupt and rotten to the core.

I suspect Vision is an "arms length organisation" IE effectively the council, but not, so that they can apply for different funding etc

Why don't you just answer my question @Lockheart. I don't understand what context you mean. How can a female have a dick in any context?

Hell’s teeth, it was pirates when I took the DC a couple of years ago to our summer reading challenge event. That is so ridiculously inappropriate

@JaneJeffer

Why don't you just answer my question *@Lockheart*. I don't understand what context you mean. How can a female have a dick in any context?

They can't! Please read my posts.

I agree women don't have penises.

I was replying sarcastically to a poster who used the term 'male penis'.

How much more obvious does it need to be?

@Mummyoflittledragon

Staff at the library initially found it funny and exchanged messages about it with Exeter library.

Grooming. Why are these people working in libraries?!

Oh wow. So it wasn’t just that the staff dithered or averted their eyes? That’s another level of dodgy.

I don't think that was obvious at all @Lockheart and I'm not the only one who didn't understand what you meant and I'm still not sure I do now.

If I walked into a library carrying a dildo for children to look at I'd be thrown out possibly arrested. Dressed up as a stripy monkey it's just a joke, wtaf?

@JaneJeffer

I don't think that was obvious at all *@Lockheart* and I'm not the only one who didn't understand what you meant and I'm still not sure I do now.

A poster used the term 'male penis'. This is a redundancy as there is no such thing as a 'female penis'.

"it is not ok to have a large male penis, fake or not, on show to children."

Followed by

"But it would be ok if it was small? Or female?"

Does that make it easier?

Wouldn't you just take your children straight out of there though?? I can't believe some parents stayed!

@JaneJeffer I think you and @Lockheart are at cross purposes here. She was just commenting on the ridiculous tautology of “male penis” that the TRAs have led us to.

Well why not just say so instead of being all pissy about someone questioning what they meant.

Wouldn't you just take your children straight out of there though?? I can't believe some parents stayed!

This is the saddest thing that parents ( and predominantly women who do usually perform a larger share of the child care) ajd children now have to withdraw from life even more because you cannot attend a family friendly library fir a kid orientated summer riding challenge without seeing adults dressed up with a dildo.

And the library said, "well, if you got it, flaunt it I guess" 🤢🤬

@Hyacinth88

It's a fake baboons bottom. Part of a story.

I take it you didn’t see the front view?!

Anyone who actually thought this was ok at an event aimed at children a) doesn't have children b) has sexual fetishes that they really should keep to consenting adults in private

This is vile & I find it terrifying that any adult would stay rather than protect their child, why? For fear of causing a scene or being "uncool"?

I also feel offended for the book "monkey & me" which is lovely & doesn't feature any genitalia

And the response from the profomers company

It's appalling. We've been groomed to think this kind of stuff is okay. Like that pic that showed a young boy in drag writhing on the ground in front of men handing him money, and in the background you can see a mother and toddler just watching the whole thing.

To be fair, as it's not mentioned here, the library has apologised unreservedly. The apology is a pinned tweet on their Twitter account.

Blimey. Words fail me.