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?

How on earth are there people out there who are happy to click on YABU on the poll?

Weirdly, so far, I don’t think anyone has actually posted anything defending this. Yet they are happy to vote that it’s ok.

Mind. Blown.

Fucking hell. They’ve apologised but how did that ever happen?!

Initially I thought it might be about this book
But then I saw the pink dildo thing and realised I was VERY wrong.
And the nipple holes in the furry suit! :O

Truly appalling.

🤢🤢🤢

How on earth did noone at any point in putting this on think "hang on a minute, maybe a fetish monkey isn't the most appropriate character to be reading to children..."

Seriously worrying lack of judgement at Redbridge libraries. Someone must have known what they were booking...

I only saw the bottom to begin with, and was disgusted!

Even if totally innocent (I don’t think is) - from being in a library ‘a safe place’ - it implies exposure is acceptable. Leading children to potentially far worse.

I’m completely sickened that no one stopped this and the posts from the library Twitter account.

Revolting.

I had to help my dad with a fairly long safeguarding course for church, he doesn't even take Sunday school, just a service now and then when they can't get a vicar.

Surely library volunteers, especially those who work with children would have to do similar courses.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually do the courses but give zero fucks about safeguarding and think it’s all a big joke. The number of people who laugh things off, call people prudes, champion “sex positive” attitudes, claim it’s just a joke etc about all sorts of things like this is abominable. They’ve been groomed conditioned by society to let this sort of thing slide.

@Furries

How on earth are there people out there who are happy to click on YABU on the poll?

Weirdly, so far, I don’t think anyone has actually posted anything defending this. Yet they are happy to vote that it’s ok.

Mind. Blown.

They are just idiots thinking they are being clever/funny. Don't even give them a moment's thought.

Yet they were booked and paid for with council tax payers' money, Chic.

This wasn't one sleazy adult man in a monkey suit fooling around.

Question: how will children who saw this, and saw their parents laughing and taking pictures, respond when confronted by an adult male exposing himself?

It's being normalised. Sarah Everard's killer was a flasher first and it was minimised.

Why is it a rainbow monkey?
Where are the outraged voices saying not in our name/we do not condone this/etc?
The benign strawberry and frog just make it seem even more wrong, as the contrast is stark between appropriate for children and not.
Not that the actions of the strawberry costume wearer were appropriate if he was simulating sex in the video…..

OMG surely someone who was in the library at the time called the police? 'There is someone grooming kids in the library' , pretty cut and dry?? Absolute madness!

@Hyacinth88

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

It's also a giant dildo and fake breasts with big nipples, being shoved in the faces of passing women.

And if that's what they did in the street, god knows what they did in the library.

Apart from the simulated sex with each other that you can see on the video before they ran outside.

Still, as the library says, "if you've got it, flaunt it" and to hell with anyone who doesn't want to see it but is rude enough to look (because they can't fucking avoid it).

I'd say I'd be amazed if all that was part of the children's picture book, but these days who knows what they think is appropriate for KS1 kids to look at.

Of course YANBU. Neither were you being unreasonable to post it in AIBU, and it should stay. The more people see that this kind of stuff is being inflicted on children by those with very questionable motives the better.
Having said that, I advise readers to visit the Feminism (sex and gender) section, where they will find wider ranging (if very careful, out of necessity) discussion of this and other disturbing issues.

[quote RickiTarr]**@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.[/quote]
Thank goodness for that. I was trying to explain this misunderstanding but couldn't somehow get the right words

It’s everywhere now. Our local library has drag time story time. No thanks

This is disgusting. Is that a dildo hanging out on the front?

Why do they think it is a good idea to show children dildos? What is wrong with people?

Funny how they apologised after the complaints started. Before that they thought it was quite funny didn't they?

They did think it was funny before the complaints started, and what's worse is that another library account, Exeter Library, also commented with four laughing emoji faces and said they had a bit of a shock when the monkey turned around.

If any of these were my local library I would be adding to the complaints.

I might actually contact them anyway to ask that they don't employ any of these 'entertainment' companies or host any fetish-filled story events for children, just in case it's crossed their minds that this is a good idea.

My local library is Exeter - who tweeted, thinking it was hilarious. They faced complaints in the past with their drag acts. I have tweeted Exeter Library / Exeter City Council / Ben Bradshaw MP - strangely no one has responded to let me know what was so funny.

I don't have Twitter, does anyone have links that I can see?

I saw an article in Leeds Live recently about one of the 'drag queens' in question. It was a completely woe is me one sided article about how awful it was for the man that people just didn't understand.

It was a long whinge about how his artistry is being constrained by bigots. No where did the article address how exposing children to this hyper sexualized imagery of women is totally inappropriate.

No mention of the demeaning nature of drag to women, how they are portrayed as fat. Middle aged frumps or young sex hungry vamps. No mention of the clear double standard of allowing women to be mocked like this and in fact encouraging it in the next generation.

I can only assume these libraries will be putting on black and white minstrel shows next. Different target, same form of parody and the same intent.

This is disgusting.

A library should be a safe space, especially for women and children, and things like this will stop them from accessing essential services.

I might actually contact them anyway to ask that they don't employ any of these 'entertainment' companies or host any fetish-filled story events for children, just in case it's crossed their minds that this is a good idea

If the screen shots of the conversations are true, they hinted at other bookings.

One wonders just how many others would have had the same "surprise"

Its interesting how social media etc is a huge influence when hiring staff. And most employers do have a social media policy and a code of conduct. For example I'm.not meant to go down the pub in my Work uniform. You would think that the same would apply to people you hire for this kinda stuff aswell. It seems almost unfair that you can potentially lose out on eveb being called fir an interview if someone decides there's too many pictures on face book of someone partying but that same person will hire someone to come and talk to children with out so much as a quick Google. This should not have been a surprise. They are perfectly open about who they are and what they do its all right there.

@Lockheart your post was very clear from the very start. No need to explain. Very unclear why it caused confusion because you were simply saying that it would not have been okay even if it was a female part on display. It isn’t just because it’s a penis that it’s a problem.

@DevonTF

My local library is Exeter - who tweeted, thinking it was hilarious. They faced complaints in the past with their drag acts. I have tweeted Exeter Library / Exeter City Council / Ben Bradshaw MP - strangely no one has responded to let me know what was so funny.

@DevonTF please report it your Councils LADO officer. They will have to investigate.