Drag Queen story time and The National Gallery

[NellieEllie]

Just spotted this. 30th June. The “gender fluidity of childhood”. Giving children “queer role models”. Good Grief. www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/drag-queen-story-time-30-06-2019

I get that one may consider drag queen story time (DQST) to be just fine as children's entertainment. I disagree, but I get that someone may view this differently.

But what I don't get is why certain posters are so invested in defending DQST as suitable for children that they feel impelled to roll out such high level insults so early in the thread.

Why is us Mumsnetters not accepting drag queens - traditionally adult entertainment - as suitable for children so offensive to you?

At a guess, it's because there is an agenda behind this: pushing transgender ideology. My mother showed me a related story in her local paper in Germany, where this link is made explicitly by the drag queen performer who was written up in the article.

DQST at best is used as, at worst is a tool to promote transgender ideology. The success of this ideology depends on the breakdown of safeguarding for women and children and many of its proponents advocate for that (the informed consent movement, the suspension of established safeguarding protocols for children who identify as trans, the erosion of women's boundaries and the undermining of protections against male violence). It is no surprise then that a shocking number of DQST were later found to be convicted pedophiles.

It is a link that should concern all parents. I would consider an adult male teaching twerking to teenage girls to be highly inappropriate already, but teaching it to pre-schoolers crosses the line into pedophilic behaviour in my view.

Anyone who insults me for that as a screeching thin-lipped white woman with a pitchfork - have at it. But I wonder who ignores flags as deeply red as that and in whose interest they do so.

Easr7thst

Yes, safeguarding is just so trfy.

Is there a situation where women dress as men and try to dance like sexy daddies and then integrate it into kids story time? Whilst also dinning false beards and moustaches?

Would that be weird at all?

Would be sackrfice. Totally weird. Then they were teaching wee kids twerking

Jeez. Weird then asking for their email addresses. Why is he harvesting email addresses

Charley. Get them lips plumped ffs. We know what makes a woman. Plumpy lips

Great post Charley.

But yeah Charlie. Great post. As ever.

I complained to the National Gallery about this event and got this non-reply back:

‘Thank you for your comments regarding our events programme, specifically regarding Drag Queen Story Time.

The National Gallery welcomes over 5 million visitors a year and we are open and free to all who wish to view our outstanding collection, exhibitions and events. We aim to make access to the paintings enjoyable and welcoming to the widest possible public. Pride and Joy has been organised in partnership with Pride in London. We have worked closely with artists and practitioners from LGBT+ communities to inform the programme and collaborate with us on this festival. We want our programme to be as appealing, inclusive and welcoming to the widest possible audience. We have focused on working to develop our links and partnerships with LGBT+ communities and create a fun and inclusive environment for LGBT+ families, and allies.
We will ensure your comments are considered within our review and we greatly appreciate that you took the time to contact us.’

Pfft.

I don’t understand how it’s so cool to have wee kids seeing some dude in a dress twerking

At what point is tha5 acceptable to library services or to the parents

I wouldn't take a child to any sort of sexualised performance and I am deeply suspicious of anyone who would suggest it as a good idea.

My lips are fine, actually, but the screeching I struggle with littlbrowndog. I rarely shout but I can do a good holler (got complimented on that recently which was really funny). DH thinks I'd make a good Aberdeen fishwife. My Aberdonian friend says no chance. So now I'm in awe of what mighty voices they must have...

So, screeching is probably out of my reach. My voice is too deep for that I think. I can do pitchforks though, I use one in my garden. Only have a broken one in the shed right now. Will that do?

White mothers?

So black mothers are OK with their children being subjected to overt sexualisation?

Really?

What the hell is with the racism of trans privilege activists?

Cor, this thread went from 0 to 100 while I wasn’t looking

Thin lips

Hairy back

It looks like kind people took butters off for a lie down around 6:30, which has ruined my evening’s entertainment frankly. I was hoping for a full thread of this stuff, it’s gold

There is nothing new about men dressing up as women for children's entertainment.

It's obviously part of the panto tradition, and at least when my children were watching Cbeebies, was a large part of Justin Fletcher's act.

However, you don't learn anything about being female by watching a man dress up as an exaggerated version of a woman, and you don't learn that a man can act or wear what he wants by learning that men only wear dresses when they are specifically dressing up as women.

People who are comfortable in their own skin don't hide behind a persona.

With the best will in the world and ignoring the normalisation of sexualised performance in children's spaces, it's very difficult to understand what message DQST is trying to communicate - be yourself, but only sometimes and with a different name?

If Drag Queen Story Time isn’t about grooming, how come an 8 year old came away with this message from the one in New York that I linked to?

“I liked it. I like butterflies, and she was spreading that you don’t have to be a girl to do boy things, you can be transgender,” said Lucia McCulloch, 8

This has been advertised at my local library as part of the summer reading challenge. I'm delighted my three are all too old for the reading challenge now - not that we'd even be entertaining the idea anyway.

We SEE you, that's what you hate.

Yep. Look in our eyes and see a mirror. And the reflection of truth.

Bloody hell, is someone really defending an adult teaching small children sexual dances?
As part of the summer reading scheme.

Surely we can all agree that sexual dances aren't appropriate for young children?

Unless you want to see young children doing that, you know what that makes you don't you? I'm sick of this shit.

FFS. They're supposed to be promoting art not men in frocks. I hear Covent Garden is also involved in this crap.

There's footage on DQST's facebook of them in a Bristol primary school.

I wonder if/what the parent's were told beforehand?

What an informative thread. My take home message is yes, drag queens twerking with children is creepy as fuck.

We see you.

Butters you are way out of line. You must think we’re idiots.

You think it’s only white women who reject attempts to groom kids??

Drag queens look scary to most kids - this is not being done to benefit children - they look petrified in some photos.

Why not roll out the program to prisons, homeless shelters, nursing homes - all arguably in greater need?

Because children are the target.

We're going to a festival next week and there is a DQST event happening at it (including a meet and greet ).

I'm torn between wanting to go and see for myself and just avoiding altogether.

Oh Think you have to go!! You could film it so we could all critique!

Way to advertise the sanity of those that think Drag Queen Story Hour is a good idea, Butters.