Drag Queen Story Time - all the reasons it has no place in Early Years

[2fallsfromSSA]

Article from SSA outlining all the reasons DQST has no place in early years.

I know someone who got reported to her head teacher for objecting to a book called The hips on the drag queens go swish, swish, swish. There was a complete witch-hunt, it is referenced in this article:

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2022/01/09/drag-queen-story-hour/

How on earth would anyone think that is appropriate?
Just sounds bizarre and confusing for the poor children subjected to it.

Absolutely. I don't really know where to start!

Excellently written by SSA. So much to pull out, but this one is key:

“It appears that some queens who faced homo- and transphobic mistreatment as children have said that Drag Queen Story Hour has offered a kind of healing and hope.”

Along with yesterday's debate on should female prisoners be locked up with males, it is past time this political lobby were forced to face the fact that other humans are not available for use as therapeutic props. Particularly children.

Yes children are not there to validate adults in any shape or form.

Thank you for that link 2falls. Yet another fantastic article. I recall that Nancy Kelley of Stonewall shame stated that primary schools are their next target.
It would be great if the press picked up the issue of adults using children to further their own needs in this way. The fact that there are some useful idiots in schools enabling all this is so worrying and this article brilliantly summarises the problems that the queer theory fanaticists present in schools .

Yes the focus on primary schools is extremely worrying. The "queering" of the early years curriculum is even more so. The lack of safeguarding awareness and knowledge is really alarming.

Great analysis from SSA (as ever). We've reposted it and are in complete agreement. Unfortunately Welsh Government are major fans of DQSH and drag queens generally. They regard them as the acme of diversity and inclusion. It would be so refreshing to see a disabled story-time reader, or a lesbian scientist, or a Muslim woman involved in politics. But no, diversity is always = drag queens.

If they were interested in busting sexist myths they could have female fire fighters or stay at home dads (or any number of other commonly gendered jobs) in to read stories.

As a bullying prevention method it's rubbish because I can't remember the last time I saw a drag queen wandering the streets. How about an obviously disabled person, or someone who adheres to religious clothing reading stories instead as an example of accepting difference?I

It's only about queering childhood. Pernicious claptrap.

it is past time this political lobby were forced to face the fact that other humans are not available for use as therapeutic props.

This is exactly it. This is the core of the problem.

It doesn't make sense. No other sexualised content is highlighted in the same way, and black-facing would not be permitted, so why highlight men who get kicks from women-facing themselves?

Great article.

Laura refers to an academic paper called Drag pedagogy: The playful practice of queer imagination in early childhoodd*, written by Lil Miss Hot Mess.

Followed by...

The authors of the paper promote their decidedly adult idea that drag should “actively destabilize the normative function of schooling.”

Utterly laughable at first glance, genuinely concerning when you dig a little deeper. Drag Queen Story Hour needs to be excised from schools and libraries. What a disgrace.

It's the rainbow, monkey man library thing all over again, but that outfit included an obvious dildo.

Just read the article - what utter hogswash!

Poor kids being subjected to human beings looking totally fabulous and being introduced to diversity that they probably wouldn’t batt an eyelid at and seeing people being themselves dressed in bright colours and being confident in who they are. Shame on the schools for allowing this!

FYI - I grew up around drag queens from a very very young age and oh the damage it had done!! I’m so inclusive and accepting and non-judgemental I just can’t believe it!! I have such an unhealthy relationship with sex too from being exposed to such things at a young age, I mean I don’t like sexualised clothes on young children, think all sex should be consensual, think any talks about it should be age appropriate…. And not to mention that I’m quick to defend people who are different from others in society. Such a bad lesson to teach children if I’m anything to go by. Yes ban drag Queen story time.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.indy100.com/news/redbridge-library-monkey-custome-scandal-b1882666%3famp
the library link if anyone missed this when it happened.

In case the link fails. The monkey had a bare bum and penis, a man wore this to read to DC in a library.

This,from the abstract:

“… the authors discuss five interrelated elements of DQSH that offer early childhood educators a way into a sense of queer imagination: play as praxis, aesthetic transformation, strategic defiance, destigmatization of shame, and embodied kinship …

The concept of shame has many extremely important functions in society, and it is entirely appropriate that children learn some things are shameful and nobody should be doing it.

Destigmatising shame actively and deliberately undermines safeguarding. As for “embodied kinship”, I have no idea what they are on about, but strangers should not claim any kind of kinship with children, and “embodied kinship” sounds like something intended to breech children’s boundaries during the story hours themselves, but also teaches children that there is nothing wrong with adult strange men wanting to explore embodied imagination with them.

Who would want to destigmatize the shame associated with adult men exploring embodiment with children and why?

FFS, how does something this blatant get published?

Having said what I said though - I do agree that there should be disabled people, people of minority religions, female in male job representatives etc being used as role models in school. 100% agree with that. ALL aspects of polite society should be represented to kids. (Yes drag queens are polite society, and yes there are many who walk the streets in their drag.)

The advantage I had as a child was being introduced to a very wide selection of society (the advantages of a heavily theatrical background!) and it’s done me the world of good. My son has had similar exposure and is a very caring well rounded lad who judges on individual merit rather than pre-conceived prejudices.

I actually know of some convicted perverts from my theatrical contacts (not in contact with any of them any more obviously but was friends before their crimes were discovered) and suffice to say they are ALL outwardly totally normal people. Not one of them was a drag Queen, or trans despite me knowing a high proportion of them.

And I would say that monkey penis man is a totally different issue and when I would agree that it’s not appropriate!! (And I’m practically a nudist in my own home despite having DC!)

@Nosquit

And I would say that monkey penis man is a totally different issue and when I would agree that it’s not appropriate!! (And I’m practically a nudist in my own home despite having DC!)

The problem is when you open school doors to a group of people, and give that group special permisdion to breach boundaries and explore embodiment with small children, the likes of dildo monkey man will become drag queens.

It is the sacred cast issue; whenever you declare any group beyond reproach and give them special permissions, the perverts will join that group. And as you pointed out, the abusers you know did not in any way look different to everyone else. There is no way of harmlessly letting some people queer and destabilise children’s boundaries or dismissing the concept of shame, while keeping abusive people out.

If any group is granted special permission, the abusers will join that group. Always. So we have to keep them all away from children.

@Fallingirl

This,from the abstract:

“… the authors discuss five interrelated elements of DQSH that offer early childhood educators a way into a sense of queer imagination: play as praxis, aesthetic transformation, strategic defiance, destigmatization of shame, and embodied kinship …

The concept of shame has many extremely important functions in society, and it is entirely appropriate that children learn some things are shameful and nobody should be doing it.

Destigmatising shame actively and deliberately undermines safeguarding. As for “embodied kinship”, I have no idea what they are on about, but strangers should not claim any kind of kinship with children, and “embodied kinship” sounds like something intended to breech children’s boundaries during the story hours themselves, but also teaches children that there is nothing wrong with adult strange men wanting to explore embodied imagination with them.

Who would want to destigmatize the shame associated with adult men exploring embodiment with children and why?

FFS, how does something this blatant get published?

It seems now that "breaking down barriers" more often actually means "breaking down boundaries". As you say, it is healthy and right for children to learn that some things are private and "shameful".

Or, you know, let them roll about the floor with, and climb on a man dressed like a caricatured woman. That seems healthy.

elizabethjohnston.org/library-quietly-removes-photos-of-children-lying-on-a-drag-queen-at-story-time-after-massive-backlash/

Also "queer imagination"?

Yes, let's sexualise imagination now ffs.

It's all meaningless (but dangerous) bibble.

Not RTFT sorry.

Started link then looked for the site they talking about. Then onto this piece (v long) but read fair chunk before skimming.

This bit sums things up:

'Building in part from queer theory and trans studies, queer and trans pedagogies seek to actively destabilize the normative function of schooling through transformative education '

There's loads in there spelling out the usual queer theory stuff. Knowing what I have learned about queer theory to see this argued as any way positive for anyone let alone children is arrrgh Jesus nope.

Here's a bit more that I was erm. Have you missed something extremely obviously basic here?

'
In the classroom, this queer dress-up might create more opportunities for young people to experiment with the feeling of how and why seemingly arbitrary changes of clothing and behaviour impact the ways they experience and are interpreted by the world. '

FOR FUCKS SAKE!

As a woman who was a girl, and noticed and was confused, baffled and annoyed by the differences in how boys and girls were expected to behave, enjoy, dress etc.
For as long as I can remember 4 or 5.

How the FUCK is the 'opportunity' to put on loads of slap and drag queen clothes going to challenge anything? Unless they're bringing clothes that are retailed 'for boys'????!!!!

I mean unless I'm missing something HUGE they have totally forgotten not just boys go to school.

Oh and just realised that as child in late 70s early 80s. Loads of men dressed as women for laughs all over tv. And I always disliked it and felt uncomfortable. When older I realised it was because it was MEN ripping the piss out of women.

I would have hated this and felt very... 'excluded' to use popular word.

Essay previous post is about
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03626784.2020.1864621

Stuff posted by 'little miss' (also FFS) on FB and insta.

I clicked on that "Drag Pedagogy" paper and started reading it.

I am shocked to realise that I am finding it very persuasive. Or perhaps "plausible" is a better word? I still know don't want the small children I care about exposed to men in clown makeup making fun of women. I still know it would have upset and bothered me as a small child. But the narrative of the paper makes the whole concept sound great. It's a big contrast with anything I've ever read written by a TRA - I think you have to have sold your brain to Satan to find the specious nonsense on stilts that TRAs pump out persuasive. This is different.

I think where it's getting me is that I'm rather persuaded by the idea that schools need a court jester figure encouraging kids to talk back and break the rules. Not all the time obviously, but bringing that energy into school every now and then sounds like a good thing to me. But agreeing with that doesn't mean I agree that figure should be a drag queen. Drag Queens are men mocking women; they're reinforcing social hierarchies, not breaking rules.

Ultimately the photo at the end of that paper says it all more effectively than all their pompous verbiage. The adults are looking at the Drag Queen quite enthralled, and pleased with themselves. The children look bored and sceptical. And that's the picture they chose!