'It's vital children see people like me exist' (drag queen story time)

[PalatineUvula]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-47720808/drag-queen-story-time-connecting-kids-with-lgbtq-role-models-of-colour

The headline is interesting

'Drag Queen Story Time: connecting kids with LGBTQ+ role models of colour'

Surely, 'Drag Queen story Time' is not so much about connecting kids with LGBTQ+ role models of colour, as connecting kids solely with drag queens (T, possibly G, B or Q, definitely not L), who may or may not be 'of colour'.

They add 'Parents who took their children to the event loved it,'

Which makes sense, as the ones who wouldn't love it, obviously didn't take their children there....

This appears to be a normal looking man with a beard, when not in costume

creative50.mif.co.uk/people/the-nightbus/

It is not quite clear why young children need to learn about drag, in that at least in this case it seems to be very much an 'adult entertainment' pursued in bars and sex clubs, I am not really aware of a drive to bring nightlife to toddlers otherwise?

Not entirely clear why the BBC sees this as newsworthy or particularly interesting: i.e. ‘Drag artist does show’ and ‘People who pay to see drag artist say they enjoyed show’.
Hmm ‘the Nightbus’ is actually a Muslim artist and describes themself as ‘queer’ so not entirely clear to me what point they are making.

Interestingly this was a ticketed event where a family of 4 would have paid £12 to hear 2 stories - so much for inclusivity. And yes I agree Palatine not clear why it is important for children to learn about drag.

What does "people like me" actually mean though? If he is a man saying that it is okay for men to dress in clothes that society would class as for women, that's fine.

Is he saying men that put on woman-face? That's not a great message for children to hear.

Is he saying he is an autogynephile? Definitely not okay to be parading a paraphilia in front of children.

I am not entirely sure why toddlers and young children need to see a man dressed as a caricature of womanhood.

If you want kids to get on board with 'you can wear whatever you like', it doesn't take drag artists to do it. A boy in pink leggings or heart patterned socks, a girl in camo print cargo shorts or fire engine print tshirt is not the same as a man with a beard in a ballgown, wig, a stuffed bra and lipgloss.

" What does "people like me" actually mean though "

scammers who read stories to families for £12

Its always about " existence" isnt it.

Like theres no middle ground between using children / young people to indulge grown adults in their fetishes/kinks and wishing them all to die in a fire.

Teaching children that ots ok to waer and play with whatever you want and the many ways in which families can he made up- fine.

Dressing up as some adult porno fantasy of a woman , calling yourself popping cherry and trying to convince kids it's all perfectly normal- not so fine.

Don't children see them in pantomimes though?

[for the avoidance of doubt: I've seen two, one of them the Stephen Fry/Sandi Toksvig one, and they both left me very very cold. I just don't understand them. Neither did my v young son last year]

They do beagadorsrock, my youngest did at Christmas, but knew immediately it was a man and ask why is that man in a dress? I explained it was for the show, he was pretending to be a lady, and that 'jack' was actually a girl pretending to be a boy and it was all just for fun.

No further questions,she just accepted it.

However if I had started saying well in his head he feels like a lady, so he dresses up and pretends and we have to go along with it...well I am sure there would have been many more questions.

I am not religious, conservative or prudish, but this whole drag queen scene and children being involved just seems very wrong.

Vital means necessary to life. Whose life, I wonder? Not the kids'.

It is wrong andy, because drag queens are adult entertainment, there is an overtly sexual overtone, I mean 'Popping Cherry' as a name FGS.

Why?

Children don't see all sorts of different things and people in life until adulthood.

I don't get why we need to shove it down their throats rather than let kids discover the world at their own pace.

You can beat your life they are not pushing this on preparatory schools. Seeing as those kids are far more likely to be politicians, particularly of a more right leaning persuasion surely they should be the ones top of the list to educate about diversity.

I read this earlier- what do kids need to see ?

The dress and make up?

Would a woman dress like this for story time and would people flock to see her?

A man reading stories is always great as its usually women in libraries and yes to diverse races and stories from other cultures but why the makeup and dress?

They see that in the panto. Plenty of dress up like that on Mr Tumble.

I thought that too beagadorsrock. Our children see men in dresses and makeup at the panto every year. It’s a very British tradition.

Meant to write: diversity including people with disabilities as well as races, religions and stories from other cultures.

Vital...because no one is doing this.

"Plenty of dress up like that on Mr Tumble."

Yes, but as BlooperReel pointed out, "Popping Cherry" is not quite the same as "Widow Twankey".
You wouldn't take children to see Burlesque or the Chippendales, so this is equally inappropriate.

There is a bit of a difference between panto and this

static1.squarespace.com/static/5bb7f61ad86cc96e3b61c2c6/t/5bb8c7eb15fcc09fa3709408/1538836461966/15875598_10154778899450539_7024955062202945263_o.jpg

You wouldn't invite strippers to read stories to children in their stripper outfits, would you?

Yes our children have never seen a man of colour in a dress and make up; it’s vital they see some Drag before they hit puberty.

Or er I dunno maybe they could just check out CBeebies?

They're just narcs. Pure and simple. Forever looking for validation and attention.

Texas library apologizes after registered sex offender participated in 'Drag Queen Storytime'

"Background checks only began after the library was sued by a group of protesters who claimed the library was endangering children."

"We might not all agree that having adult entertainers is the right way to entertain young children or promote literacy, diversity and acceptance and inclusion," Shannon told reporters Friday. "But we can all agree that it's inappropriate to have a ... sex offender entertaining children at the library."

Also, having worked in a secondary school where a significant number of kids were obsessed with Drag Race, kids will find out anyway that drag queens exist... Why do they have to find out when they're in preschool?

" You wouldn't invite strippers to read stories to children in their stripper outfits, would you?"

nor plumbers, soldiers, bankers, nurses nor many other professions

but drag queens are special

" You wouldn't invite strippers to read stories to children in their stripper outfits, would you?"

Hang on a minute! Surely that's just a type of valid work?

The BBC is absolutely exhausting with this shit.

Sexualised men in drag. For toddlers. Great idea.

Well having sen the video of the Drag Queen twerking in the library, and a v young child copying that, no, I don’t think dc should be exposed to drag queens reading stories.