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!

Hearach15 · Today 15:57

“MangyInseam · Today 15:56
Why do you think that libraries don't have, say, lesbian story hour, where someone who is a lesbian comes in, tells the kids they are a lesbian, and reads a story?”

Sounds like a great idea. You should suggest it to the local library. I would be very much in favour.

Would you be in favour, Hierarch15? Even though no one would know their sexual orientation?

Who brought up lgbt culture? I didn't mention it in my post. I said loose women isn't a children's TV program, it isn't. I said nothing about drag being inherently sexual. Try reading what people actually put. Then respond to that and not what you seem to think they said. Otherwise, you're the one that seems paranoid.

Drag Queens are part of LGBT culture and that is why people object to them being around kids.

That's your take, I don't agree with you. I can see that people may have a problem with DQSH but not have a problem with a lesbian or a gay firefighter doing story hour. In fact I'm fairly certain other posters have said as much on this very thread.

Lgbt culture is someof the people on this thread.

Out of curiosity, do any of you find Chinese opera offensive and misogynistic and inappropriate for young children? It does often involve cross dressing men wearing a lot of makeup! I must have been 3 years old when I watched Chinese opera for the first time with my kindergarden class (grew up in a chinese majority country and am also Chinese).

Sounds like panto.

Sounds nothing like DQSH.

You could suggest it if you think it's a great idea.

I would suggest that it isn't, for the same reason people reading children's stories at the library don't tell the kids they are straight.

It's not appropriate for adults to have that conversation in that kind of setting with kids. Both for safety reasons - we don't encourage kids to talk to adults they don't have a parental type relationship with to discuss sexual behaviour with children, and also because it's not really developmentally appropriate for story time aged kids.

None of that is controversial, and if you aren't aware it is no wonder you struggle to understand why people object to DQST.

It's also dodgy on a whole different level, for much the same reason we would tend to look askance at a library with a black man story hour.

Then there is the more general question of why libraries are putting so much energy and money into promoting identity politics at all, when we have a country full of kids with really very poor reading skills.

So the objection is to the skin tight costumes? If he was wearing a poofy evening gown (the kind that covers everything) and reading a nice story like the three bear or little red riding hood, would that be fine?

"we don't encourage kids to talk to adults they don't have a parental type relationship with to discuss sexual behaviour with children".

Nonsense, straight adults talk to children all the time about their girlfriends, boyfriends, "she's got married and now's she called Mrs X". It's only when LGBT people do the same people get cross about it.

Haven't RTFT but saw this in the telegraph but not a subscriber so posting Daily Mail article which might have already been posted on here, apologies if so:
www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11052687/amp/Police-forced-escort-Drag-Queen-safety-protesters-storm-childrens-event.html?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16589363139953&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-11052687%2FPolice-forced-escort-Drag-Queen-safety-protesters-storm-childrens-event.html

Why is Aida H Dee deemed a "children's author" when there's only one book on amazon with no pictures, no description and no reviews. It looks like a totally made up "book" that no one has ever really read. Anyone can self-publish. Why have publicly funded libraries given this person money for storytelling such rubbish books that don't even sell? It's such a poor use of a very very tiny budget.

It's also dodgy on a whole different level, for much the same reason we would tend to look askance at a library with a black man story hour.

There are lots of story times with black authors and their works as the focus, especially during Black History Month.

I don't see why anyone would. Most people don't have across the board issues with people playing any cross sex role in the theater or other performance venue.

What would be odd and inappropriate would be to take an opera about an adult topic, unsuitable for children, and have an actor come in character, introduced as if he or she was really that person, to read stories to kids.

Yes, lots of black people are authors. That's not quite the same as black person story hour, is it?

Yes, children will meet adults of all kinds who may have various family arrangements. It's a very pertinent fact to children who are quite aware of family life, even as toddlers.

If you don't understand the difference between that and discussing sexuality directly I think maybe you aren't really a person who should be deciding what kind of children's programming is appropriate.

What!? Where did I mention costumes, skin tight or otherwise? You're weird!

Is this the same Aida H Dee who was protested in Leeds a few years ago?
www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3947689-Is-this-true

What I find odd is the lack of information about Drag Queen Story Hour UK. I mean, on the website, there's very little mention of who it is, who has set it up, and any credentials. Most story tellers fall over themselves to tell you all about themselves and their suitability with children. They'll have a list of who they are, if there's more than one.
The website talks about many drag artists available, but there appears to be only one person involved.

Has anyone explained what benefit it brings to the kids yet?

I actually find the name ADHD quite ableist and offensive.. but at least it isn't someone like Miss Carriage

I also wonder at the benefits for kids and how do parents field the questions?

Why is that man wearing a womans dress? (Yes, kids box clothes into gender stereotypes)?
Well, because he likes wearing them...

Why do other grown ups call him she then? Will I be a she if I wear a dress?
No, you won't because you are a boy... or it doesn't matter what you wear...

Why is he important, just because he wears womans clothes? Well, he is celebrated because of this.

Will I be famous if I wear a princess dress then? No darling, you will still be a normal boy.

But I don't want to be normal, I want to be like him...her... a bright glittery unicorn lady.
That's nice dear

Why aren't you a glittery unicorn lady, mummy? You are no fun
[right, never taking you here again...]

At least I hope the performance was aimed at young children and not like the drag queen that said we need to teach our kids to 'open their hearts, open their minds and open their legs'

You might be outing yourself here, there can’t be many Chinese Jews who grew up in China and attend progressive synagogues

Its funny you say that because in my DH's circle of immediate friends (who are all Jewish), two of them have brothers who married Chinese women! I actually thought it was quite common.

And of course such couples end up going to progressive synagogues. Its not super likely they go to an orthodox synagogue right?

www.amazon.co.uk/Olivia-Audio-Collection-Ian-Falconer/dp/0743579593
Dame Edna does storytime. Kind of...

I love your determination to make an utter fool of yourself. With friends like you, the DQST crew need no enemies.

I think the theory is that because dame Edna was on daytime TV once that proves it. Hard to tell really. The person trying to argue the case is, erm, unlikely to give Jonathan sumption a run for his money