Drag Queen Story Time

[LizzyStrata]

First time posting here, so not sure of the etiquette. My apologies if this is the wrong place to raise these concerns.

Reading Borough Council is planning to hold Drag Queen Story Hour events in our libraries during the summer holidays. I’ve written to my MP, my councillors, and the Head of the Library Service to raise concerns. I think drag is entirely inappropriate for children, as it is a form of adult entertainment, highly sexualised and misogynistic, that blurs boundaries and undermines safeguarding.

The response Ive had is simply that they have received very few complaints so no reason to cancel.

Has anyone had any experience of tackling their local library over this issue? Grateful for any tips.

Also, if you live in Berkshire ,would you be willing to write and share your concerns?

thanks!

It's an unfortunately tight outfit for a lady in question. Perhaps something more flowing next time, Style and Beauty section has some great outfits

Stella's got a baby? She kept that quiet. Makes a change from dragging it round the House of Commons I suppose.

That first picture...what's the film where two people are talking at a kitchen table and suddenly there's a red faced demon behind one of them?

Complaining is one thing but I saw a video on Twitter today where a few protestors (who gained access by posing as parents with a baby in a pram) were accusing the drag queens of horrible things in front of the children. I think that's uncalled for and not the way to protest.

On the face of what you describe I'd have to agree, I could indulge in some whataboutery....but I won't.

(who gained access by posing as parents with a baby in a pram)

Grr. The only time this person has ever said something interesting on here and of course they fumble the story.

Was it a fake baby? Or had they kidnapped it or something?

I wondered that, then I fell down a rabbit hole wondering if 'transparent' would make a good joke...

Well we have tried to call attention to the problem in various ways, complaints to the LA, letters to the libraries, visits to MPs and so one. But sometimes we have to be heard in other ways..

I was actually quite uncertain about the whole trans issue but was more inclined towards the GC perspective as I value female only toilets and am quite uncomfortable with the idea of children/young people being allowed to pursue such drastic medical interventions. This video is shocking- the woman appeared quite unhinged screaming about paedophilia and 'woke-ism'. There are similar protests about drag story hour in the USA and some of the protestors are neo Nazis. As a Jewish person, I do not want to share any kind of platform with any neo Nazis on any issue! So this whole thread has made me re-evaluate. I am not sure I agree with drag story hour but the entertainer was hired to do a job by the council and deserves to not be harassed when doing a job.

www.google.com/amp/s/uk.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/leader-neo-nazi-group-arrested-183601980.html

It can't be a good look for the movement if across the Atlantic, the people championing the cause are neo Nazis....

I believe that change in societal attitudes to what is suitable for children cannot be imposed by fear and name-calling.

When that is attempted, eventually there is a societal backlash, that undoubtedly attracts some questionable people to the issue.

Feminists on this board have been waring people about the impacts of this potential backlash on minorities, in particular on gay, lesbian and bisexual people.

The 'be kind' crowd called us far-right bigots for years now, well before Proud Boys got involved, maybe it's worth addressing actual arguments on this thread rather than worry about far-right's opinion?

Or do you form your opinions on the opposites, so if 'bad' people have an opinion you always feel that you need to take the opposite one?

Do you spend a lot of time checking these people's opinions, just to make sure you don't accidentally agree on the same thing, genuinely interested!

I have never had any common ground with neo Nazis or trump..I will report back if that ever happens! Re trans issues- it is relatively new for me; and I don't have a fully formulated opinion. I have met trans people at my synagogue (somehow they choose to transition into a new religion at the same time!); Tbh they just seemed like very unhappy people but that is not unusual in a religious setting; after all, religion is often a refuge for the lonely!
I have a SIL who has now declared herself a member of the trans community (same issues with mental health; zero history of gender dysphoria). That's why I am looking into it seriously now.

Seems to be similar to the way the far right in the UK picked up on the grooming cases by Asian males. We all know they didn’t give a damn about the girls involved. They simply saw an opportunity to progress their cause, because the authorities were not acting due to misplaced concerns about racism.
when the authorities fail to act responsibly they creat a space for bad actors to step into.

I strongly disagree with dqsh..but this is not the way to challenge it. Protests like this are fuel to the drag queens belief that they are the most marginalised and discriminated against in society. They thrive on this kind of drama.

That said I know that any complaints that are made to the library service are NOT taken seriously. Quite the opposite in fact.

Leeds libraries advertised this on facebook yesterday...it's the only post on their page that doesn't allow comments.

What a shame there's no effect. I feel that the places that have booked this do not remotely get it and will not.

It's bizarre to have adult entertainers come and read to very young children. It would make more sense with teenagers, but then, performers like Aida H Dee have a trans crusading message, despite not really being trans themselves.

As for living in the 50s? We're getting all the clichés here from people entirely missing the point. I've no problem with drag, my friend does it, I've got a problem with it being served up to 0-5 year olds in libraries. So that makes me a prude in this conversation to some, but a reasonable person to many others.

It's the push of gender ideology that is most worrying..but most library staff are totally ignorant of this or do not fully understand the issues.

To be clear, the argument here is that a drag queen reading stories to children in a library setting is damaging, but an unhinged person shouting "paedophilia!" and "autogynephilia!", scaring the shit out of a room of babies and toddlers, is "being heard"?

What movement?

Absolutely. Sick of women being blamed for this shit and being associated with these bad actors

So you're in favour of silencing women?

Ok.

The video of the women shouting in Reading Library is difficult to watch - especially as the child of one of them clearly is very very disturbed by it all and screaming. I don't think they would have come over well to any of the parents there. They just sounded unhinged shouting 'paedophile' to children. I don't endorse this, but neither am I happy that DQST went ahead.

It’s exactly what you think it is, when that photo has been used in positive news reports they have been careful to only use above the waist only. They know what it is to but are choosing to ignore it

Yes, I'd like to start with Marjorie Taylor Green. Plenty of women have shit ideas.

In the case of this particular library "protest" which you admire, the people at the centre appear not to be "women" as a general category but conspiracy theorists, including Michael Chaves, the anti-vaxxer/alt-right/white supremacist. Here you can see Chaves' own videos of the event, including him referring to the drag queen as "the degenerate."

twitter.com/CovidRadicals/status/1551516857500327938

The conspiracy theorists are now posting photos of the event to private channels, trying to identify those involved. I'm sure nothing untoward is intended by posting photos of their faces and suggesting they are paedophiles. I particularly recommend Michael Chaves video where he says that the world is ruled by Satanic paedophiles, which fits neatly into existing antisemetic conspiracy tropes.

Nothing to see there. Definitely not alt-right/white supremacist/whackaloons. Just "women" and saying that this is wrong with this protest is "silencing" them.