'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?

Panto dames always creeped me out as a child because it felt like they were making fun of women like my mother or grandmother rather than celebrating women. It was always this wink wink nudge nudge sense of humour too, objectifying women. I can articulate that better now as an adult but as a girl, knowing I'd grow up to be a woman some day, it felt wrong to me. There was something about it that seemed disrespectful to women, fake boobs and hair etc.

I'm all for gender bending and teaching kids to wear what they like and express themselves how they like but I don't see how drag queens send that message. It's just womanface, taking women's sex characteristics and parodying them for a laugh or some titillation. I wish drag queens would go the way of blackface or other 'traditional' entertainments that involve a privileged social group punching down by dressing up as a vulnerable less powerful group.

Yeah, I think I'll stick to Aunt Polly for my kids thanks.

I have never liked drag queens either, its the same joke over again and they look terrrible.

But in pantos the lead ‘boy’ was always a girl weren’t they? Can’t Peter Pan read at the library? But then I always forbid that a bit odd when I was a child.

It may well be that LGB already do storytime, but unlike T understand that children have no need to know about their private lives.

"Panto dames always creeped me out as a child because it felt like they were making fun of women like my mother or grandmother rather than celebrating women. It was always this wink wink nudge nudge sense of humour too, objectifying women."

Yy, this! I had to go to one a few years ago and sat feeling very uncomfortable at this.

Why is this a vital thing. Drag queens (and kings) exist yes. Kids have been to pants and I have yet to meet anyone who hasn’t felt uneasy/creeped out by the Dame. So why does a sexualised performance artiste need to perform to a roomful of small kids? Chances are they don’t have children or feel the need to volunteer for local services to ‘give back’ to the community. So why so keen to perform to a roomful of little like? Are they paid?

God, as if girls need even more of the message 'this is how much effort you must put in to look like a woman' It would be far more liberating for little girls to have gender non conforming females reading stories to them.

I’m relieved to read your comments here. I saw this on the bbc last night and was Really?? Then I think it’s just me and I’m old fashioned and prudish or something.

The issue of drag infuriates me, and always has. It is "womanface." Degrading, and represents a caricature of women. Why it is tolerated, much less celebrated, is beyond me.

Oh yes, my children will know that drag queens exist, just like they know that racist people and bigots and misogynists exist. And better yet, they know WHY those actions are wrong. Not on my watch.

Who else could they possibly ask?
WPC
Woman firefighter
Someone with a physical disability (ie blind or someone who is deaf and uses a translator)
Someone who is 6’4 and covered in tattoos
The man who walks along near us with a huge blue parrot on his shoulder
pole dancer sorry, that should be a Polish dancer

“It’s vital children see people like me exist”.

No, it’s not.

We can see them at the Panto.

I’m relieved to read your comments here. I saw this on the bbc last night and was Really?? Then I think it’s just me and I’m old fashioned and prudish or something.

A general test is to place a woman in exactly the same clothes and make up repeating exactly the same phrases and then ask yourself how people would respond.

It's not brave and stunning to be a man in those clothes any more than a woman and it's not appropriate in that context any more than for a woman.

Diversity is not about the T as presented in this film. It's just clobber at best and fetish at worst.

Well we've got a bog standard lesbian and gay man as part of the team at our library who do storytelling for the kids. But as they never mention their sexuality and just dress in everyday clothes, they're not going to make headlines are they?

Then I think it’s just me and I’m old fashioned and prudish or something.

This is the gaslighting and grooming aspect.

I should say that I work at the library and that's why I know they are lesbian and gay - not that I've made assumptions about them!

Queer theory sounds like it belongs in the sixth form. What will the proponents do when they finally grow up and realise life isn’t all about individual desires regardless of the cost to others.

Indeed. Many of them don't grow up. They never think it isn't all about them. We all know who they are.

'It's vital children see people like me exist'

If you have the time and energy, and are safe, just keep asking "Why?"
There is no reason children need to see drag queens.

I am reminded of an incident - I don't know who might be familiar with the comedian who made the video "Shoes" back about 15 years ago or more. Liam somebody? He dressed in drag and did a video about being a girl who was shoe-obsessed. I showed my son who was then about 7 or 8, because I thought it was funny. He was really scared by it and ran out of the room. He couldn't tell me why. I think on some level he knew what he was seeing what wrong but didn't have the words.

OK, let's assume drag story hour becomes widely established. The focus would then move onto the next thing to be normalised. I wonder what that would be?

Not "vital". Gaslighting and grooming, pure and simple. Children are not there to validate or to provide kink fodder.

As someone closely involved with safeguarding all my working life, this stuff sets all my klaxons off at once.

This is not okay.

God, as if girls need even more of the message 'this is how much effort you must put in to look like a woman' It would be far more liberating for little girls to have gender non conforming females reading stories to them.

Yes ^^^ exactly.
I’m fucking sick of all of it tbh- pantomime dames can fuck off as well. At the end of the day it’s all men taking the piss out of what they think women are, or men pretending they know so well what women actually are that they can literally become a woman. No. Jog on in your comedy fat suits and aprons or your ‘sexy’ stilettos. All the same shit. Don’t force girl kids to watch any of it. It’s humiliating, frightening and damaging when you are young and female to be exposed to how much some men hate women. Not great when you’re an adult female either tbh but at least you hopefully have the life skills to know what the fuck is happening here.