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.

Maybe that’s because, you know…there’s not much point teaching OAPs that being different isn’t wrong, but if you teach children from a young age about differences then maybe they won’t grow up with bigoted and homophobic mindsets because they were taught from a young age that it’s ok to be different. Just a thought.

If you think they are exactly the same as pantos, you are bonkers.

An additional difference is that this won't be classed as the library service building relationships with the arts and theatre and the community, giving children experience of different forms of artistic expression etc. It will be seen as a way of ticking the LGBTQ+ inclusivity box. Female impersonators have no connection whatsoever with the real lives of lesbians, gay men and bisexual men and women. I really object to children being given the impression that having a sexual orientation other than being straight is about being a grotesque, clownish crossdresser. Bring on the lesbian grandmas who can do great story telling in sensible shoes I say. Being L, G or B is just part of life and nothing to laugh at.

Yes, totally different from a panto dame and completely sexual.

God forbid anyone get locals interested in attending our under funded and under attended libraries.

Check his hard drive.
What kind of man thinks dressing up as a sexualised cartoon parody of a woman and calling himself "Flowjob" thinks he's a role model for children?

Creepy old man in a frock.
Why is it they never want to cheer up old folks in nursery homes but make a bee-line for small children?

I think it's harmless fun if the children genuinely enjoy it. If there is a hint of any form of agenda such as encouraging boys to dress up as girls & borrow their mother's makeup then that is wrong on all accounts & I wouldn't support it.

Because if you teach children from a young age that it’s ok to be different they might not grow up bigoted and homophobic. Bit pointless with OAPs that are already set in their ways

I wouldn't let any of them near children.
The overwhelming majority of men who dress up as "women" do so for sexual reasons. They experience "intense sexual pleasure" according to psychiatrists specializing in male paraphilias.

No child needs to know anything about them.

Hopefully you can see this article? But the short answer is that many do! www.northern-scot.co.uk/news/drag-queens-to-perform-at-moray-care-home-317842/

I'm curious how many of the anti drag brigade on here who perceive drag to be equivalent to black face have ever been to a drag show. I've been to many, and can't say that I've ever felt that the artists had contempt for women. Quite the opposite in fact. The people who perform drag have traditionally been mocked for being seen as being like women, or being effeminate, not meeting the standard of being 'masculine'. The power dynamics are completely different to racism and blackface, and to conflate the two is simplistic and shows a complete lack of understanding of structural oppression.

Ok Janet x

kind of proving my point about ignorant bigots there 😉

A lot of the Drag Queen Storytimes WERE absolutely sexualised and being advertised to kids (eg Flow Job). Not appropriate. And no, not a "moral panic" by supposed pearl-clutchers who aren't as cool as you either. We are allowed to talk about safeguarding and some of the DQS were very red flaggy. Stuff you'd see in an adult nightclub is not appropriate for kids and it's not meant to be.

BUT I don't see the problem with this particular person at all. It might be advertised as DQS, but It's panto dame style like any pantomime, therefore family friendly so cannot see it's inappropriate or worth getting worked up about. Surely it's the age-appropriateness or not that is the issue here.

I totally agree.

They do - it's been posted further upthread, you've just not read it and made an inaccurate assumption.

💯

Pretty sure men dressing as women in a panto is not a new, or particularly controversial thing. Odd that you clearly take offence at something that you clearly were not involved in.

www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1710530/mountside-care-home-celebrates-drag-queen-performance
Here are some drag queens in a care home in Hastings

https://www.hc-one.co.uk/our-news/news-and-events/drag-performance-brings-joy-to-caerphilly-care Some in Wales

I mean I cba to keep linking but multiple posters have used this line to basically insinuate that men who do drag are frothing at the mouth to host children’s events.

Also, they must be popular. Just because it’s not your cup of tea doesn’t mean others can’t enjoy it.

I went to a drag brunch for my birthday and I’ve not laughed so much in a long time. The place was fully sold out. People find it… entertaining. Oh right, it’s entertainment.

Mama G looks like a hot air balloon, hardly gyrating around in gloss and floss.

It's about controlling the means of production and normalisation

I've been to many at gay clubs over the years. Some I found funny, some I didn't. But I can totally see why a lot of women find it offensive, it depends on the act (but come on, it literally IS like blackface in some ways, you're just inured to it, just as those who used to watch the Black and White Minstrels used to be back in the day).

Frankly, it's pretty bigoted not to be able to understand what the issue is, tbh. Open your mind, maybe instead of sneering at others who you erroneously assume don't have your life experience or you imagine being like Mary Whitehouse. We're not living in the 70s anymore. Society moves on.

Still a creepy old man in a frock.
I wouldn't trust him as far as I'd throw him.

Or how about a woman reading it? Or is that concept too mind blowing?

Controlling the means of production = Marxism?
Are you AI or just confused?

controlling the means of production????

Are we in first year Poli Sci???
Gimme a sec while I hunt for a copy of The Communist Manifesto? 👀