8/29/2023 0 Comments Drag queen show![]() Right now, librarians are being threatened with jail time all over this country to defend the First Amendment, so I know a bit about it. The news later that night framed the event as "mostly peaceful." Shouting hate speech and detailing horrific acts against children was referred to as peaceful. I still don't know if my seven-year-old daughter heard anything they said, or if she knows enough to ask. "I was really scared," she told me after that. ![]() Reunited with my family, I held my daughter, who asked, "Mom, why were those people so mad? It was fun." I said I didn't know. "Hatred, plain and simple": "Groomer" trope linked to nearly 200 anti-LGBTQ+ attacks in 11 monthsĮventually, the library cleared the families and performers from where we had hidden them in the staff room in the back. Shaking, I turned to one of the librarians and asked, "Did the kids hear them say this?" She shrugged her shoulders, red-eyed. When the police showed up, one protester got specific, yelling that there was a naked man inside molesting kids as we stood there. All the while, they held up phones, filming us even when we repeatedly asked them to stop. They asked why we were targeting kids for sex shows. They shouted that we were protecting pedophiles. Who were these people and why were they trying to film my child? However, as they continued to yell hate speech, I also got scared. When I stepped into line with the librarians, wondering what was happening with my husband and daughter inside, I felt angry. Yet, I don't often see parents in Times Square protesting "The Lion King" because of the content of "Avenue Q." This argument also ignores the many art forms that have varying levels of content. The drag queen might wear a tight outfit, but nothing that a child wouldn't see on a cheerleader at a football game. Our experience was what can only be described as wholesome: A person in a pretty outfit reading a picture book. I've attended drag queen story hour with my child before. While far-right protesters like the ones I was facing that day claim that drag is inherently sexual, I would disagree. Many of these book banners will cite content in LGBTQ+ books that are clearly labeled as for teens or adults, but they do so while holding a copy of "Pride Puppy" or "And Tango Makes Three." This misdirection is only paving the way for more confusion, and more violence.Ī similar misdirection happens with drag. ![]() Where they claim sexually explicit material, there is often merely a book containing gay characters or explaining that families can look different. This fits with a pattern of these protesters. The only thing that separated my book from others on the shelf was its appearance on the American Library Association's Rainbow Booklist.įor some, the mere presence of a queer character is damaging to youth. My seventh-grade main character, Drew, has crushes on both "boy and girl characters" in film, but thinks kissing and holding hands are akin to exchanging a snotty tissue. This spring, I found out that a group was trying to get my first book banned for "age-inappropriate" LGBTQ+ content in an Alabama public library. I am also a middle-grade author (" Drew Leclair Gets a Clue" and " Drew Leclair Crushes the Case"). In addition to being a librarian myself, I am a queer woman. I want to explain what this was like to face but, first, let me explain who I am. Shouting hate speech and detailing horrific acts against children was referred to as peaceful. I knew my husband was with our daughter, but I was terrified–wondering what was happening outside. My heart racing, I turned off my camera and moved to the far side of the study room. During my online panel with the wonderful NYC store, Books of Wonder, I heard shouting. I had a conflicting virtual author event, but I decided to dial in from a library study room so that I could catch the end of the show–and be with my family in case the planned anti-drag protest became violent (as it has at many libraries this past year). This year, my family decided to return to drag queen story hour after a long hiatus during the pandemic. ![]() But I haven't seen the media giving enough space to queer families and allies who attend these events and who want to talk about the irreparable damage that these protests can cause to our children. Some may interview the host or performers. ![]() The media interviews far-right protesters, giving them a platform to tell the world about their beliefs. Every time I watch these reports, I find myself frustrated. It's been this way since the sharp rise in hate crimes driven by anti-gay sentiment skyrocketed in 2021. For the past year, I've been holding my breath.Įvery time I see coverage on drag queen story hour (even my liberal San Francisco Bay Area), I brace myself for stories of violence and hate. ![]()
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