Drag Queen Story Time at the British Library

[TundraDweller]

Three Drag Queen Story Times in one day -

www.bl.uk/events/family-day-young-rebels

I have tried to understand queer theory, must be thick, but got nowhere. I’m not sure what “queering the library” even means.

Put simply and basically it's "introducing sex and sexual activities to"

So what did the British Library put on for children for International Women's Day. After all 50%of children are female, don't they deserve a targetted programme to challenge sexist stereotypes.

Well yes, they aren’t alone with the children but I have seen some photos and videos of some story time behaviour that wouldn’t happen elsewhere ‘yes Jessica, just go and lie on top of that complete stranger over there’ ‘look Timmy - the nice man is going to show you how to twerk!’.

Autumn, in practice, it means blurring boundaries and getting rid of order and logic.
The Dewey Decimal System is still used, but maps are not provided saying where numbers may be found. Instead there are labels with nebulous categories such as "Travel" and "Law".
When I complained I was told that research had found that x% of library users were browsers so it was geared towards them. But my feedback suggesting a map would be raised at the committee meeting in 9 months time.

To qualify as a librarian now you must pay for an expensive postgraduate degree, and this is the consequence: organisation of libraries has "theories" and "decolonisation of Western hetero normative constructs" and all other kinds of bullshit.

What it all boils down to for me is that I can never find the fucking books I want.

I'd imagine they make a lot more risqué comments/ jokes than the drag queens who do these storytime sessions

And yet they don't.
Unless I've missed one where widow twanky is called dryer fanny and calls children on stage and gets them to roll around the floor with her.

No fish ‘jokes’ either.

Sorry should clarify the bookshelves are labelled with a little plastic sign on top.

Just wondered - would everybody who is so staunchly against this not take their child to a pantomime? Most family pantomimes often feature a man dressed up as a woman, don't they? I'd imagine they make a lot more risqué comments/ jokes than the drag queens who do these storytime sessions.

Funny you should mention Panto actually. I went to see Cinderella at Christmas and the ugly sisters made a joke which went:

Ugly Sister 1: meeting the prince would make my day.
Ugly sister 2: oh it would make my ^whole week> (said with big emphasis whilst he rubbed himself all over).

Now, I like a good Panto dame innuendo as much as the next person but I thought jokes about anal sex totally crossed the line and it does feel like boundaries are being eroded when it comes to men being able to talk about sex in front of kids.

What @kangtastic said

Yeah... that's where I'm confused. I've heard plenty of pretty misogynistic, risqué jokes told by pantomime dames. I don't understand why this is considered a new phenomenon.

Well yes, they aren’t alone with the children but I have seen some photos and videos of some story time behaviour that wouldn’t happen elsewhere ‘yes Jessica, just go and lie on top of that complete stranger over there’

activistmommy.com/wp-content/uploads/kids-on-drag-queen_censored.jpg

Panto doesn’t need dames, the one I went to this year didn’t have any.

The difference between panto - innuendo interspersed with fairy tales and fart jokes - and drag -which IME is overtly sexual content delivered by men dressed in drag - being targeted at children, for no particular discernible benefit to those children, is pretty wide, too, IMO.

That’s the one...

Argh, fucked up my post!

Should have been -“ delivered by men dressed up as caricatures of women”

Out of interest - if they didn't make any misogynistic comments, would you still have a problem with it?

Just because - isn't it quite good for children to see people who do not conform to gender norms? As in: you can wear a dress and lipstick if you're a man - fill your boots. Teaching kids that you don't have to present yourself or act in a certain way because of your sex is important, I think. And also that it's fine to be gay/ camp, rather than the heteronormative role modes shown in kids tv etc. I am personally all for that; I hope the next generation is a lot more tolerant than the current ones.

Obviously if anybody is saying sexual comments to kids or asking them to roll around with them (is that a thing?) then that's absolutely unacceptable. But the general premise isn't inherently bad, I don't think.

DQST is fairly new in the UK Salt

Tom Canham brought it from the US to our shores in 2017

uk.linkedin.com/in/tomcanham

Oh his Twitter it's clear he thinks Mumsnet is a cesspit full of homophobes, but when we ask questions about safeguarding that is often the reaction.

"Five drag queens are actively involved on a day to day basis, but Tom has 30 phone numbers of queens ready to help out. As a small, non-profit, group, however, Tom is not able to cover the expenses of the performers."

I do remember a crowdfunder to cover the cost of the DBS checks but even if they are DBS checked is doesn't mean they 'perform' appropriately for children. I know the one near mean teaches the children to twerk (twerking was made famous by Miley Cyrus and before that: Twerking has long been a part of black culture. ... The origins of twerking can be traced to Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa, where a similar style of dance, known as the Mapouka dance, was originated. The dance has existed for centuries and consists of a series of movements emphasizing the buttocks.)

www.bristol247.com/lifestyle/family/drag-queen-story-time/

It’s not just the jokes - the voice, the persona (often cruel and bitchy), the oversexualised clothing... don’t conform? So what? That’s just clothes.

I would prefer them to have someone who is blind, has one leg, reads in Braille, has a stutter, in a wheelchair... but is there to read to the kids not because of any of these things.

But they are not 'performing' as men are they Salt, they are performing as a caricature of women and I find it deeply misogynistic and not very funny, so yes I avoid pantomimes and take my kid to things like The Tiger Came to Tea and Tabby McTat.

It doesn't need to be about sex-based stereotypes and about adult related themes to be entertaining.

I wonder if part of the reason drag queens have been picked for supposed LGBT events for kids is somehow drag is being seen as an example of LBQT culture.

For example, when we have African heritage days here at places like this, we might have basket makers come in, or singers sometimes. Usually singing or making baskets, though.

So someone thought, what is an example of gay cultural artefacts, and came up with drag? But obviously you can't have a drag show for kid's events, so you get them to read a story.

Hasn't kids tv always had men dressed as woman and woman dressed as men salt?

Just because - isn't it quite good for children to see people who do not conform to gender norms? As in: you can wear a dress and lipstick if you're a man - fill your boots

If only there were male ballet dancers and lesbian fire fighters .... ..

It’s not just the jokes - the voice, the persona (often cruel and bitchy), the oversexualised clothing... don’t conform? So what? That’s just clothes.

This is literally describing a pantomime dame, though?

ok, salt, if we accept your premise that it’s positive for little boys to see that it’s fine to dress up, to be camp, to be gay (which I agree that it is, though I disagree that DQST is how this is best achieved)...

What’s in it for little girls?

If only there were male ballet dancers and lesbian fire fighters .... ..

I'd love my child to attend events or talks ran by people like this, too! I just don't really see the inherent issue with a camp man who wears a dress reading a story.

If you guys don't want kids to be encouraged into taking hormones and stuff, then surely this is actually a great way for them to see they don't have to? They can just wear the dress - no medical intervention necessary!