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!

MenopausalMe is right - you are giving enough information to out yourself, or at least the synagogue you go to.

Not to the posters on here. Also these TV shows mentioned are not aimed towards 0-5 year olds. The question should be, is this seen on CBeebies?

Would you be behind a Stripper story time hour? Because that too is adult entertainment, would that be appropriate for young children?

For most people, it's about age appropriacy and common sense. All this 'you're from the 1950s, you're homophobic, you are not fun', it's just distraction.

But her assumption wasn't even correct :)

Come to think of it, didn't Lily Savage present the Big Breakfast on telly in the 90s?
You can't say she dressed as a "middle aged housewife."
She was on breakfast telly in full make up, wig dresses and heels.

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

It doesn't have to be about telling them you're a lesbian or gay though? Surely instead of saying "hey kids, I'm a lesbian or "hey kids, I'm gay! Now we,'re going to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar!"
Why not have a couple read it, as in a gay couple say "hi, me and my husband are going to read a story to you today" or a lesbian couple say "me and my wife"
That'd be perfectly appropriate, surely?!

Actually, GJBJ I think that's not unreasonable. Obviously, they'd have to be prepared to deal with any questions the sprogs might throw at them. But, yeah.

The best thing to do, if we want children to have healthy attitudes to gay sexuality, is to behave normally around it. No fanfare, no glitter - it’s just part of life.
the reason we end up with dumb shit like drag queen story time is because straight people still can’t really do that. Or lots can’t, anyway.

What is your point? Lily Savage never targeted her act to 0-5 year old children.

What is your point? Lily Savage never targeted her act to 0-5 year old children.
My point is that she was presenting on breakfast telly, on a family friendly breakfast show.
A main person on there.
At a time when lots of toddlers/kids are at home watching when their parents are

No fanfare, no glitter - it’s just part of life.
Yes, but so is those who do want to be flamboyant/dress up.
So be gay, but not too outwardly gay?
An acceptably conservative "normal" type of gay.

On tv. Not in person, interacting with children.

The black pampers have turned out to counter protest the GC women protesting DQSH in Bristol today.

People on here proclaiming that women are both pearl clutching prudes and and filthy minded, for disagreeing with DQST really are on a hiding to nothing.

No amount of but, but Dame Edna Everage or yay Lilly Savage is going to persuade anyone that drag queening is not a full on sexualised adult entertainment.

There can't be anyone, certain nobody on here, who doesn't know exactly what drag is. From RuPaul's drag race and their 'women are fish', to the old school drag clubs.

The sexualised and misogynistic play on names, all of it. It's blinding bloody obvious.

Then you've got all the new, extreme stuff like Desmond is Amazing, twerking with naked men and Lacatitia persuading kids they need new parents and, most recently, children should be opening their minds, along with their legs.

Lowering boundaries around children is allowing grown men to suggest children should open their legs, and getting minors on stage in gay clubs.

Trying to pretend it's like widow Twanky is desperate stuff indeed.

It's not about encouraging children into an understanding of the LGB community, because it's the drag part that is being centralised. And you've going to have a pretty hard time persuading anyone that drag is not an adult sexualised entertainment.

And we're also back to the whole ridiculous justification of having to say we don't think that drag queens are perverts, but any pervert can now avail himself of the opportunity that DQST provides.

If people want to advocate for DQST under those circumstances, then they are demonstrating a safeguarding failure in the way they think. Whether it's deliberate or not, it's very instantly recognised for what it is.

From RuPaul's drag race and their 'women are fish
Have you even watched Rupaul's Drag Race?!
I watch it and they don't refer to fish at all 😕

Yes, Datun, thank you.

www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/live-protesters-clash-outside-drag-7391626

“So true, Dame Edna did not read children stories and these drag acts are. That is why they are suitable for kids.”

I have a CD of Dame Edna doing exactly that. It’s a narration of Peter and the Wolf. In my opinion, Dame Edna ruins it. it’s a good example of how the drag act is irrelevant and unsuitable for children - it goes straight over their heads. They have no idea that this person is a famous comedian and they care even less.

Storytelling is a real skill. It takes more than a glittery dress and an affected voice to do it properly.

It is quite a stretch to include Dame Edna as a 'drag' act in the modern framing..

This was just one of Barry Humphries' characters that I grew up with in Australia. He was a satirist. Edna may have become an icon, but the motivation was different. Maybe Barry Humphries is viewed differently here in the UK, but to draw that comparison is not a good fit in my experience.

Barry Humphries didn't create numerous child safeguarding loopholes across the country.

Barry Humphries is also not anything to do with the gay community either unless something dramatically has changed in the past few years. This is the problem with trying to retrofit a rhetoric where it simply lacks integrity.

To use this character in this way shows a lack of understanding of its history and the context that shaped it.

Barry Humphries is also not anything to do with the gay community either unless something dramatically has changed in the past few years
So it's OK for straight people to dress up in dresses and wigs then but not gay people?

Edna may have become an icon, but the motivation was different.
It sounds awfully like you're trying to imply something there against all drag queens who read stories.

rubbish. Stop distorting what people say. You know perfectly well that i was indicating the behaviour that should be expected of people in relation to homosexuality.
if you can’t argue honestly, don’t bother. And if you think the exaggerated stereotypes involved in drag are necessary for acceptance of gay people, check your own bigotry.

And if you think the exaggerated stereotypes involved in drag are necessary for acceptance of gay people, check your own bigotry
No, I just think there's nothing wrong with dressing how you want, whether that be in high heels, sequins, dresses etc or more conservative as we're all different.

I agree. Dress how you want. Who has said people shouldn't dress how they want?

Who said there was? The question is why you think involving children in a genre which relies for its meaning and significance on adult transgression of outdated gender stereotypes benefits them.
your inability to provide any coherent answer to that is very noticeable.