Drag Queen Story Hour - Summer Library Tour

[MidCenturyClegs]

Had a quick look and couldn't find anything explicitly related to the whole tour.

Here's the schedule:

Bristol (of course) Library posting this have switched off the comments, and hidden previous ones, but the tweet is here:

twitter.com/bristollibrary/status/1526977116314681347?s=21&t=i31eBY6l7ImlQIuvJJBUsg

Somebody asked about DBS checks etc (given incidents like this a valid question :
www.womenarehuman.com/former-ceo-of-org-sponsoring-drag-queen-story-hour-arrested-for-sex-abuse-images-of-children/

I went on to their website to find out info on their safeguarding policies, here:

https://www.dragqueenstoryhour.co.uk/files/ugd/45d42aa_ac05020f9b454032a0588c95beb7b659.pdf?index=true

Do we have a safeguarding expert who could advise on this? It seemed woolly to me.

I'm not a safeguarding professional but have some experience of making safeguarding reports through my work (with adults) and have done safeguarding children training a number of times.

That policy does not look at all reassuring IMO. No definitions of terms, no links to local authority procedures or contacts, limited explanation of the duty to share information relating to safeguarding and how this interacts with confidentiality.

Only seems to approach safeguarding from the viewpoint of DQST staff being the risk, rather than the very real possibility a child makes an unexpected disclosure or DQST observe behaviour of concern.

Does mention another document about reporting safeguarding concerns but I can't find that on their website. Presumably (?) there is more detailed guidance for staff in there.

Does mention recruitment processes but no detail, the website says all staff have a basic DBS as a minimum but I'm surprised this isn't at enhanced level. But I'm not involved with recruitment in my role so I don't know what the normal standard would be. All clinical NHS are enhanced DNS checks which I think shows cautions etc whereas a basic only shows actual convictions (I think).

Does mention safeguarding training for staff but no detail on this, what would be covered, who hs it provided by, at what level?

Following with interest as this is local to me.

I hate drag queen storytime. I had a load of 'right on' friends take their toddlers along, clearly believing themselves to be hip and progressive. To me it was an absolute backwards step in terms of acceptance. Genuine trans or gay people just wish to be seen as normal. If they'd wanted to further acceptance, then they could have had a normal down to earth trans or gay person simply reading a story. The idea that you would encourage young children to explore the concept of individuality by a bunch of gay men dressing up as sexualised pantomime dames is wholly misplaced. Drag is also, not only misogynistic and bawdy, but the costumes can be frightening for young children. It's get again a bunch of men, with, most probably limited real life experience of young children, attempting to permeate 'education' whilst being motivated by their own vanity and desire to perform. It's bogus and disingenuous.

In terms of safeguarding, my understanding was that children had to be accompanied by a parent or carer to see this and that it's not a drop off event. That's how it used to operate anyway.

MidCenturyClegs
A quick read of the policy shows that it's taken the broad definitions of child abuse and literally said don't engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18. Sexually abuse or exploit children, Subject a child to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect. It stops there.

Effective context specific safeguarding policies should refer to the "service" provided.

So (quick list off the top of my head) this could include pointers about:

age appropriate reading material
boundaries & physical contact between the dq & children
answering questions
dress code
never being alone with children
not exchanging contact details
adult / parental supervision
Online presence of the dq and suitability for children
Age appropriate language / use of euphemisms
Safe recruitment / levels of due diligence needed by commissioners ( checks / DBS / online material checks etc)

etc etc.

Policies are only useful when they help those implementing them to understand what safeguarding children actually looks like in the context they're working in.
This fails to do that.

This is really useful information, thank you.

A few of us were thinking that as this is a tour and not a one-off, that it may be worthwhile writing to MPs, councillors etc.

I have to run checks for people running events for kids and the amount of paperwork is definitely more than a mere DBS check. I wonder if the library has all their other documentation ready for any inspection?

I've some (limited ) sympathy. Writing safeguarding policies for specific areas can take ages. You try to anticipate every eventuality and work out whether you specifically need to address an issue - like dress codes - or that it's over managing. I mean who'd have thought we need policies to tell adults that naked butt, dildo wearing monkey costumes are not appropriate for children in libraries? It turns out we do:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4294184-Obscene-costumed-volunteers-handing-out-summer-reading-at-Redbridge-library

Beat this: we have a Drag Queen story hour for babies (yes babies) in our local pub. FFS. It's the East Dulwich Tavern if anyone wants to google.

My babies / toddlers screamed at dressed up adults - Father Christmas, elves, Disney figures etc. Took til about 3 before they were interested rather than alarmed.

DS just year to tell them off.

When he was little he would take it as a personal insult that someone in a banana costume would be trying to kid him that actually he was a banana. We also had a rather fiesty confrontation in the Narural History museum with Mary Anning (neither would back down). Also the Yo Bear (poor sod was getting off the bus as we were getting on, I assume he on his way back from a promo gig)…

I actually get where he is coming from through (I used to go crazy when I was little when someone was telling me fibs…).

The tour is coming to my local library, the poster was shared on a community FB group by someone who shares the concerns outlined above….it did not go well. They were told they were homophobic and the more coherent criticism was they were overreacting to gender identity. Ridiculous. Can’t see the appeal of drag queen story time, perhaps pantomime dame visiting at Christmas along side elf story time. Can’t see how it promotes a positive image for gay men or for transwomen, surely the outrageous and showbiz costumes are not the image those groups would want to project? Perhaps I am wrong? Inclusivity? Not aware of a lot of drag queens being denied service at local businesses or not able to access, again I could be wrong. I would like to see a story time with signing or in another language alongside English, that would be great.

I could complain to my local council but I think they are just going to say it’s inclusive of the lgbt community which I think is insulting to the majority of this group, but again I could be wrong. I do think I am in upside down world a lot of the time.

Their safeguarding section declares this:
Drag Queen Story Hour UK believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender
identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of
harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Can you spot which group is not included? And so can be left unprotected from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation?

When I looked at that inadequate safeguarding policy a while ago I found that the main body of text has been cut and pasted from an American site.

But it's all a bit irrelevant anyway as DQSH UK appears to be just one person, Sabastian Samuel (also known as Aida H Dee). He is the sole employee, the safeguarding lead and company director. It's a Community Interest Company although no accounts have ever been submitted.

^^ this!

I can't see how it's inclusive- why not just have normal gay people read to the kids?

This is coming to our local libraries and I'm really concerned at how it seems to be exempt from all the usual safeguarding, as organisations fall over themselves to demonstrate their woke credentials by giving anyone involved in certain special groups a free pass.

My lovely old dad couldn't just rock up and read to kids without all kinds of safeguarding / background checks etc and that is right and proper. How come some groups seem to be exempt, and what is to prevent predators exploiting this?

What a waste. Could have been a fine opportunity for female firefighter or a male nurse to to story time, broadening traditional ideas of stereotypes.

I am... surprised that Rochdale Libraries have made another booking. Here's a thread someone made of his social media postings last time he visited Rochdale.

If those are the photos that he thought suitable to post on his facebook business page, I have to wonder what he looked like in the photos he didn't think were flattering. And also what he looked like on the day, to the children he was reading to.

twitter.com/Dora_Callisto/status/1465819128392990730?t=dCIEzApPuSOTOuhXoia5RQ&s=19

It's utterly despicable, depraved and disgusting. Especially in light of that photo on twitter.
Just can't believe this stuff is happening.

Wow, unbelievably ill-chosen words for someone entertaining children.

It's pretty offensive to have a "performer" called Aida H Dee reading to a group that potentially contains neuro-diverse children.

I wonder what skin-tight costume delights await children this summer? Marginally less alarming than the rainbow dildo buttmonkey.

What is the point of it?

I wrote to the British Library about this in February 2020 and they told me that i was offensive for bringing up safeguarding.
I mean...🤷🏻‍♀️

Of course they did, Ameanstreak.

Safeguarding is definitely 'offensive' to certain people.

Indeed.
Those sacred castes just keep popping up like whack-a-mole, don't they?

Like Graham Linehan said the other day 'I've run out of ways to persuade people they should care about this'.

This is safeguarding children, and surely nothing is more important than that, no matter how good woke cookies taste??

I don’t know if it was 2020 (pre lockdown) but I wrote or them too when they had a drag act during a woman’s festival of some sort.

They kind of hurumphed at me for being an old fussy duddy with no concept of children or education.