Here is the reply I received...
Thank you for your complaint dated 21 October. Your complaint has been logged at Stage 1 of our procedure and, as you know, allocated to me for investigation and response in line with our Complaints Policy.
In summary, my understanding of your complaint is:
• Drag queens do not fit the model of diversity and is therefore not a reason for engaging one for storytime; there are no sessions promoted with disabled people, lesbians or gay men;
• Social media of Aida H Dee and Drag Queen Story Time is unsavory, promotes other sites where paedophilia is promoted and is not appropriate for children.
Diversity
Leeds aims to be a welcoming and inclusive city
There are strong links between drag and LGBT+ culture, and part of our public sector equality duty is to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination. Drag is also about celebrating difference, not conforming to the ‘norms’ of society and saying that people can choose in what way they identify as individuals. It also challenges the idea that some clothing or ways of people presenting themselves are exclusively the preserve of one ‘sex’.
Leeds Libraries Service is constantly reviewing its plans and is working on a wider range of diversity projects including more storytime diversity. The service ensures that there is diversity in the stories and the authors amongst its book stock including for children and younger people.
Social media is unsavoury
There are some images on the DQST and from the performers other social media which could be viewed by some as being incompatible with our expectation of a children’s performer. They do not of themselves warrant refusing to work with this individual, and do not condone violence or paedophilia.
Moreover, we have assessed suitability in this case on the actual event being held. The event in question is pre-recorded and the added benefit of this is that the story time has already been viewed by colleagues in the Library Service who have confirmed its appropriateness for the intended audience and a full risk assessment has been undertaken with no safeguarding issues arising. It is for this reason why we are proceeding as planned.
The love has no age slogan, with an image, was used by Drag Queen Story Time. It is clear from the additional image that they do not support, condone or have anything to do with Minors Attracted Person. The slogan is one which is well known in some circles, and clearly has unacceptable connotations. However, it is not universally known, which is why ASDA also, at one time, used it as a strap line in an education pack.
Aida H Dee posted the image with the intention of recognising love seeing no boundaries, and had not sexualised this in any way, as others have seemingly done. The post was not intended to cause offence, or to promote paedophiles, and a secondary post confirmed this. The post was removed once it was highlighted that this slogan was linked to MAP.
There are other images which have been highlighted to Aida H Dee which have caused offence and I understand these have also been removed. These have been on Aida H Dee’s adult site which is restricted to over 14 year olds
In more general terms, it is not appropriate for the council to check a person’s social media accounts or ask them questions about their private life, as to do so might well be a disproportionate interference with the person’s right to private and family life under the Human Rights Act. It could also lead to a person being discriminated against because they had a protected characteristic. The DQST is a short one off supervised performance and checking a performer’s social media accounts could be seen as disproportionate. In addition, drag has strong associations with the LGBT+ community, and therefore more detailed checks for this individual than are conducted for other performers, would run the risk of a claim of discrimination by association or perception.
Conclusion
I have considered your complaint, looked at available information and discussed this further with colleagues in Safer Leeds, Communities, Children and Families, Libraries and Legal Services. In addition I have spoken to Aida H Dee.
I do not believe that we should be taking additional measures in relation to understanding the individual’s social media as that would be disproportionate and potentially discriminatory. However, given that social media concerns have been raised it is appropriate to consider these.
Having considered these, for the reasons outlined above, I see no reason why we should not engage this drag queen (who has safeguarding checks in place) to hold a library storytime for our children.
I believe that I have addressed the issues you have raised. If you wish to request a review of my decision, you can contact me directly or customer relations on the email address given above, within 28 days of this letter. However, please be aware that consideration will usually only be given to new facts or evidence, or to comments on the above facts or evidence which I have relied on as part of my investigation.
It would have been good if they had considered these issues when they closed down the women’s meeting last year.