Drag Queen Storytime at my local library (photo attached)

[Carla786]

I had a lovely trip to my local library yesterday. Spent a long time there choosing books, basically the whole time there was a very noisy toddler event going on in the next room. I didn't mind, they host a lot of stuff for various people & that's good.

As I left, I looked at the posters of various things they were advertising. I saw one for 'Mama G', clearly a drag queen, which I photographed for identification purposes. I thought this nonsense of drag story hours might be quietening down, but clearly not at my library. I'd never seen them advertise anything like that before 🤦‍♀️

Checking the photo when I got home, I saw the event had taken place that day, while I was choosing my books. I wasn't listening particularly hard, but from what I heard it sounded more like a 'panto dame' style event than anything sexualised. It still seems odd and inadvisable though. If a drag Queen wants to do panto style entertainment for kids too, he should have a separate line in that, rather than mixing it up. 'Drag queen shows ' are by nature sexual and adult, so 'drag queen' shows blur boundaries whatever the content/intention.

It's notable the clip seems to show him associating the twerking with Fortnite. Fortnite is an unhealthy game imo & definitely not one that should be mentioned in toddler entertainment sessions.

Looks like Mama G's act might need a rethink!

@SleepyHollowed84 , you said you knew Mama G, I think. If not you, I apologise. If you do know him, did you know about the twerking? Does his act normally include this?

I really don’t see drag as a parody of a woman. Drag is drag, it’s been around for so long (and has evolved in that time, perhaps it started out parodying women) that it’s in a category of its own. A man doing a drag show is not a man dressed up as a woman, it’s a man dressed up in a ridiculously flamboyant outfit and OTT make-up that everyone knows no actual woman would wear. It’s more like dressing up as a clown and performing. It’s very much its own art form that has nothing to do with dressing up as a woman. Look at Drag Race - it’s not about which one looks most like a woman, it’s about which one has the most amazing outfit and extraordinary makeup

One of the most popular children's entertainers on cbeebies is justin fletcher (mr tumble) One of the many characters he plays in something special is aunt polly.... I think most would consider that a drag character and there's definitely nothing remotely sexual about the performance. Not all drag is sexual...

I’d put it ‘behind you’.

Genuinely interested to know what you mean by 'grooming' in this context, I've seen it come up before in these type of threads and I'm never quite sure what is meant by it. Eg do you mean that you think they're trying to influence children to be trans, or gay, or accept that being trans/gay is ok, or do you mean that you think they're setting up children to be abused? Or something else?

”An attempt to groom children”
This must be the single most pearl clutchingly ridiculous comment I’ve ever read on MN 🤣🤣
What are they “grooming” them for?!

They do performances at care homes, story time seems infantalising somewhat no?

Plus, you do realise it's not the drag artists that are trawling libraries looking for gigs, yes? They're approached by the library staff responsible for booking these type of events. As they would be for performances anywhere such as care homes.

'Twerking' is very mainstream in cartoons, games etc these days. A lot of people would find that funny. I personally think it's tacky and wouldn't encourage it in my kid, but I don't think it's the end of the world.
I hope you are just as outraged by all the religious leaders who turn out to be child predators.

If he isn't pretending to be / parodying a woman, why does he call himself 'she'?

His role model (according to his instagram) is Chris Harris, who was solidly 'he'.

I do have objections about this strand of theatrical expression because it is analogous to blackface, in that it exaggerates and parodies the characteristics of a despised class. Think about it: what makes a dame funny?

Even if I leave that aside and view it as a form of clowning, however, I'm strongly opposed to teaching children to call a man in a dress & wig by female pronouns.

I’ve got Vesta Tiley on the line calling from 1890, she would like a word.
There is a strong tradition of women having successful careers performing as men going way back to the old music hall days.

It shouldn't be, twerking is sexual, completely inappropriate for kids.

Re religious leaders: I certainly am, assume pp is too.

Kids love twerking, because it's shaking bums, and bums are funny to kids. I also see it as a bit tacky but not something I'd get worked up over (not least because doing so gives them exactly the reaction they want!) I'm more worried about adults who see kids twerking and think its sexual though.

The story was shared in several papers at the time, but I can't find them on Google. So...apologies. This is the Sun. Given the images, Mumsnet might not show this. Apparently, F J did have a PVG, but didn't have the sense not to put pictures of kids in with his usual social media.

I honestly can't decide whether he's genuinely that stupid. In later interviews, he did claim innocence.

This is where "Flow Job" mucked up big time: https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5320992/drag-queen-school-flow-job-pictures-children-parents/

So if we find sexualised drag content performed in front of children completely inappropriate why on earth would we not be appalled at pedophiles who hide behind a religion?

Twerking' is very mainstream in cartoons, games etc these days. A lot of people would find that funny.

No doubt these people would be among those who take their small children to drag queen story hour. Fabulous.

It's not about prudishness and if you think that you're willfully naive.

It's about motivation.

Most men who cross-dress do it because it arouses them sexually and most are heterosexual so have nothing whatsoever to do with LGB.

Often these men dress up like the people they are attracted to - there are lots of examples out there. Anyone who is not concerned is naive or wilfully ignorant.

Personally, I don't see how a man dressed in a cartoonish manner is educational for children - most are not gay and most gay men do not dress like cartoon characters - that's stereotyping.

The targetting of young children by unrelated males is a concern.

Why does it have to be educational? It’s just FUN. Can you explain how it’s any different to the drag queens in Christmas pantos attended by millions of children every year?

“Most men who cross-dress do it because it arouses them sexually.
Often they dress up like the people they are attracted to”
Errr the vast majority of drag queens are gay so this comment makes zero sense 🤣

"Most men who cross-dress do it because it arouses them sexually and most are heterosexual so have nothing whatsoever to do with LGB."

Oh give over - drag is almost exclusively a sub-section of gay men dressing up. Can't even begin to understand why you would think otherwise? I've never heard of a single straight man doing drag!!

Jinx! 😅

If they’re just reading a book in a fun and entertaining way and there’s nothing sexualised about it, what’s the issue?

@SpringTimeIsRingTime what are you basing your assertion on that men who 'cross dress' (I assume in this context you mean any man who wears dresses) - are doing so for sexual arousal?

Being a bit facetious here, but, well, if that were the case, surely it would be, well... obvious?

I often see AGP referred to on Mumsnet as though it's fact, but it isn't something that is recognised in UK psychiatry, or at least not something I've even seen within NHS or the guidance they use, or the diagnostic manuals. It isn't just that it's outdated, it was never really accepted as a thing to begin with.

You win the award for most ridiculous comment 🏆

Mr Tumble dresses up in drag…just saying, should we boycott CBeebies too 🙄

AGP is a thing. Read Trans Widows threads on FWR. These husbands surely have AGP. There are also subreddits of men who say they have it. Many are quite open. Grayson Perry has clearly said cross-dressing is sexual for him.

Agree most drag queens are gay that is not AGP.

Wait this is someone different? FlowJob is also very worrying, more so given that name...