Drag Queen Story Hour
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Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH), Drag Queen Storytime, Drag Story Time, and Drag Story Hour are children's events first started in 2015 by author and activist Michelle Tea in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
with the goals of promoting reading and diversity. The events, usually geared for children aged 3–11, are hosted by
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...
s who read
children’s books Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
, and engage in other learning activities in
public libraries ''Public Libraries'' is the official publication of the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). It is devoted exclusively to public libraries. The print edition is published six times a year and i ...
. Jonathan Hamilt, who co-founded the New York chapter as a nonprofit, said that as of June 2019, DSH has 35 U.S. and five international chapters. The program strives to "capture the imagination and play of
gender fluidity Gender fluidity (commonly referred to as genderfluid) is a non-fixed gender identity that shifts over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of gender identity or gender expression. A genderfluid person may ...
of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
role models". Drag Story Hour events have caused public debate over the suitability of drag for child audiences. Critics say it contributes to the “sexualization” or “grooming” of children; proponents argue that these complaints amount to a "
moral panic A moral panic is a widespread feeling of fear that some evil person or thing threatens the values, interests, or well-being of a community or society. It is "the process of arousing social concern over an issue", usually perpetuated by moral e ...
" and anti-LGBT prejudice spurred on by "right-wing misinformation". The backlash against such events has been responsible for the popularization of the term "
drag panic Drag panic (also called drag queen panic or anti-drag hysteria) is a moral panic that stems from the belief that exposure to Drag (clothing), drag, especially for Minor (law), minors, can be harmful, due to its perceived sexual nature. Drag pani ...
", modelled after the older term " gay panic".


History

Drag Story Hour was started in 2015 in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
by author Michelle Tea, who was also the executive director of nonprofit Radar Productions at the time; the first events were organized by Juliàn Delgado Lopera and Virgie Tovar. Tea, who identifies as
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
, came up with the idea after attending children's library events with her newborn son and finding them welcoming but
heteronormative Heteronormativity is the definition of heterosexuality as the normative human sexuality. It assumes the gender binary (i.e., that there are only two distinct, opposite genders) and that sexual and marital relations are most fitting between peo ...
. She imagined an event that was more inclusive and affirming to LGBTQ families. The first event was held at the
Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library The San Francisco Public Library is the public library system of the city and county of San Francisco in United States. The Main Library is located at Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street. The library system has won several awards, such as ''Libr ...
in the LGBT Castro neighborhood of San Francisco and featured drag queens and was well received. Other early DSH events in San Francisco featured several drag queens of color, including
Honey Mahogany Honey Mahogany (born December 30, 1983) is an American activist, politician, drag performer, and singer. She first came to national attention on the fifth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', followed by releasing her debut EP ''Honey Love''. She wa ...
, Yves St. Croissant, and Panda Dulce. As of February 2020, there are 50+ official chapters of DSH, spread internationally, as well as other drag artists holding reading events at libraries, schools, bookstores, and museums. In October 2022, the nonprofit organization officially changed its name to Drag Story Hour, to be more inclusive and "reflect the diverse cast of storytellers." In 2017 the New York chapter incorporated as a non-profit and has received funds from the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and two city council members. The funds buy books, some DSH events do book giveaways, go for paying the queens, and training to ensure the queens "talk effectively to children and their parents about
gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent and consistent with the in ...
and drag." In 2017 and 2018, the organization had a convicted child sex offender perform in the Houston Public Library. The library had failed to do the background check that is part of its usual process for storytellers. The library apologized and recognized its shortcoming in not properly vetting the performer in question. The books read include children's classics and works featuring LGBT characters and issues. One popular book at DSH is ''This Day in June'', written by Gayle Pitman and illustrated by Kristyna Litten, which introduces the reader to the idea of an LGBTQ pride parade. In March 2020, in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
which had accompanying "
shelter in place Shelter-in-place (SIP; also known as a shelter-in-place warning, Specific Area Message Encoding, SAME code SPW) is the act of seeking safety within the building one already occupies, rather than emergency evacuation, evacuating the area or seeking ...
" and "avoid group gatherings" orders, DSHs were among events postponed.
Nina West Nina West is the stage name of Andrew Robert Levitt, an American drag queen, queer activist, actor, and singer-songwriter based in Columbus, Ohio. She rose to national prominence with her appearance on the eleventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Ra ...
and other drag queens started
live-streaming Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming of video or audio in real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as ''streaming'', the real-time nature of livestreaming differentiates it from other non- live ...
readings. West authored the children’s album '' Drag Is Magic'', featuring ''RED: A Crayon Story'' by Michael Hall as the first book of the online series. ''RED'' is about "a crayon who suffers an identity crisis when he is labeled wrong."


Reception

Drag queen story hours have been met with significant opposition by some conservatives, who object to the events themselves, as well as the drag queens performing and/or the books being read. Writing for the ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.
'', Julia Malott argues that drag queens caricature femininity, that "drag queen" is not a gender identity and thus does little to help children understand the concept of gender expression, and because drag is "inherently performative" it fails at normalizing gender nonconformity anyway. She concurs that drag isn't necessarily sexual. Proponents of drag queen story hour say events can "capture the imagination and play of gender fluidity of childhood and
ive Ive or IVE may refer to: Music * Ive (group), a South Korean girl group * I've Sound (aka "I've"), a Japanese musical group People * Ive (given name), a Croatian and Slovenian given name * Bert Ive (1875–1939), British-born Australian cinema ...
kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models". Nina West argues drag lets children be "creative" and "think outside the boxes us silly adults have crafted for them." An event organizer and performer noted: "Just like an actor can do an R-rated movie and a G-rated kids’ movie, we have different levels of how we entertain and how we can put on our character as well." Some right-wing publications have also published misinformation about the events and the content of the readings, such as when Conservative Fighters falsely accused Xochi Mochi of reading from a "sexually explicit" book. John Casey, an adjunct professor at
Wagner College Wagner College is a private university in Staten Island, New York. It was established in 1883 and, as of the 2023–2024 academic year, it enrolled approximately 1,932 students, including 1,592 undergraduates and 340 graduates. Its theatre prog ...
in New York City, posits in ''
The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...
'', In a May 2019 ''
First Things ''First Things'' (''FT'') is a journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society", focusing on theology, liturgy, history of religion, church history, culture, education, society, politics, literat ...
'' article and a subsequent debate with David A. French,
Sohrab Ahmari Sohrab Ahmari (; born February 1, 1985) is an Iranian Americans, Iranian-born American columnist, editor, and author of nonfiction books. He is a founding editor of the online magazine ''Compact (American magazine), Compact''. He is a contributin ...
argued that drag queen story hours presented a challenge to proponents of "conservative liberalism" who emphasized personal autonomy and opposed "the use of the public power to advance the common good, including in the realm of public morality". Steven Greenhut responded in a ''
Whittier Daily News The ''Whittier Daily News'' is a paid local daily newspaper for Whittier, California, United States. Coverage area includes Whittier, South Whittier, Pico Rivera, La Habra Heights, Santa Fe Springs and La Mirada. The ''Whittier Daily News'' ...
'' editorial that, although he perceived the story hours to be "bizarre and agenda driven", banning them would be an overreach of governmental power and an attempt to legislate
morality Morality () is the categorization of intentions, Decision-making, decisions and Social actions, actions into those that are ''proper'', or ''right'', and those that are ''improper'', or ''wrong''. Morality can be a body of standards or principle ...
. In August 2019, a petition by ''
LifeSiteNews ''LifeSiteNews'', or simply ''LifeSite'', is a Canadian far-right advocacy website and fake news publication. ''LifeSiteNews'' routinely publishes misleading information and conspiracy theories, and in 2021 was banned from some social med ...
'' and Personhood Alliance, both anti-abortion activism groups, asked the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...
(ALA) to stop promoting the story hours; it gathered nearly 100,000 signatures. The ALA responded by affirming its support for DSH events, stating that it "strongly opposes any effort to limit access to information, ideas and programmes that patrons wish to explore" and "includes a commitment to combating
marginalisation Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. In the EU context, the Euro ...
and underrepresentation within the communities served by libraries through increased understanding of the effects of historical exclusion." According to progressive news website ''
ThinkProgress ''ThinkProgress'' was an American Progressivism in the United States, progressive news website that was active from 2005 to 2019. It was a project of the Center for American Progress#Center for American Progress Action Fund, Center for America ...
'', "it has been a common tactic among the
far right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and Nativism (politics), nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on ...
to disrupt DSH". In June 2019, the
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
(SPLC) reported that "
white nationalist White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a Race (human categorization), raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara ...
and former U.S. Congressional candidate
Paul Nehlen Paul Nehlen (born May 9, 1969) is a white supremacist and former Congressional candidate from Wisconsin. During the 2016 and 2018 Republican Party primary elections in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district, he spouted various racist, white na ...
had announced on June 19 a plan he called 'PROJECT DOX TRANNY STORYTIME.'" Nehlen urged followers to gather photos and vehicle license plates of DSH participants for
doxing Doxing or doxxing is the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information Personal data, also known as personal information or personally identifiable information (PII), is any information related to an identifiable person. The ...
, the
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
-based practice of researching and broadcasting private or identifying information (especially
personally identifying information Personal data, also known as personal information or personally identifiable information (PII), is any information related to an identifiable person. The abbreviation PII is widely used in the United States, but the phrase it abbreviates has fou ...
) about an individual. The SPLC reported that events such as DSH were "a big draw for far-right extremists". In April 2019, two members of the
white nationalist White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a Race (human categorization), raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara ...
group
American Identity Movement Identity Evropa () was an American far-right, neo-Nazi, neo-fascist, and white supremacist organization established in March 2016. Ghost skin, It was rebranded as the American Identity Movement in March 2019. In November 2020, the group disbanded ...
(formerly
Identity Evropa Identity Evropa () was an American far-right, neo-Nazi, neo-fascist, and white supremacist organization established in March 2016. It was rebranded as the American Identity Movement in March 2019. In November 2020, the group disbanded. Leaders ...
) dressed as clowns and disrupted a DSH in New Orleans, Louisiana.


Drag for children

Nina West Nina West is the stage name of Andrew Robert Levitt, an American drag queen, queer activist, actor, and singer-songwriter based in Columbus, Ohio. She rose to national prominence with her appearance on the eleventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Ra ...
, ''RuPaul’s Drag Race'' season eleven contestant and winner of ''Miss Congeniality'', and producer of '' Drag Is Magic'', an EP of kids music about the art form, says she hopes to inspire them to "dream big, be kind, and be their perfect selves." West feels drag is "an opportunity for children to get creative and think outside the boxes us silly adults have crafted for them." Marti Gould Cummings said something similar when a video of them performing "
Baby Shark "Baby Shark" () is a children's song associated with a dance involving hand movements dating back to the late 20th century. In 2016, "Baby Shark" became immensely popular when Pinkfong, a South Korean entertainment company, released a version ...
" at a drag brunch went
viral The word ''Viral'' means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). It may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spre ...
. "Anyone who thinks drag isn’t for children is wrong" said Cummings, "Drag is expression, and children are such judgment-free beings; they don’t really care what you’re wearing, just what you’re performing." As of May 2019, the video has been viewed over 806,000 times. West has responded to critics who question if children are too young to experience drag, saying, "Drag is an opportunity for anyone – including and especially children – to reconsider the masks we are all forced to wear daily." West added, "Children are inundated with implicit imagery from media about what is 'boy' and what is 'girl.' And I believe that almost all kids are really less concerned about playing with a toy that's supposedly aligned to their gender, and more concerned with playing with toys that speak to them." ''The New York Times'' noted " Laura Edwards-Leeper, a clinical psychologist in Oregon who works with queer and trans kids, said that experimenting with
gender expression Gender expression (or gender presentation) is a person's behavior, mannerisms, interests, and appearance that are associated with gender in a particular cultural context, typically understood in terms of masculinity and femininity. Gender expr ...
isn't necessarily linked to being queer or trans." and "It's normal at basically any age for boys to dress up as princesses and girls in male superhero outfits". She argues that what changed is parenting: "When there's no judgment, kids are more likely to feel free to explore".


By country


Australia

Such events (similar to those in the United States) have been proposed in Australia, but have been met with controversy. In January 2020, an event was held in
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
at the Brisbane Square Library, but was met with a protest from the University of Queensland Liberal National Club (which was disendorsed by the Liberal National Party (LNP) a month earlier). A day after the protest, one of the club's members, who was openly gay, committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
. Another event took place in the
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
suburb of
Werribee Werribee is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the local government area of the City of Wyndham. Werribee recorded a population of 50,027 at the 2021 census. Werrib ...
, but was also met with protests. Events were not held for most of 2020 and 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In November 2022, a drag queen appeared on the children's television program '' Play School'' reading a book about
crossdressing Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express onesel ...
, which drew criticism from many. In February 2023, such an event took place at Manly Library in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, but was guarded by police due to protests and even a reported bomb threat. The event was attended by a local Greens councillor and her son. An event also took place in
Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk River, North Esk and South Esk River, South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River, Tasmania, Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, the Launc ...
, but was met with protests and criticism. Critics included the
Australian Christian Lobby The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) is a Christian-conservative advocacy organisation based in Canberra. Structure The ACL is registered as a public company limited by guarantee and files political expenditure returns with the Australian Ele ...
(ACL) and the
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
, with the state's
Deputy Premier A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
Michael Ferguson criticising the event for being inappropriate. In May 2023, the Monash City Council in Melbourne planned to hold such an event to celebrate the
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) is list of minor secular observances#May, observed on 17 May and aims to coordinate international events that raising awareness, raise awareness of LGBTQ rights violati ...
. However, this was met with several protests and counter-protests at council meetings. The first protest was attended by parents and other adults, as well as by
United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four Elections in Australia, federal elections in that time, usually governing Coalition (Australia), in coalition ...
Senator
Ralph Babet Ralph Emmanuel Didier "Deej" Babet ( ; born 29 June 1983) is an Australian politician. He has been a senator for Victoria in the Australian Parliament since 2022, representing the United Australia Party (UAP), and is the party's only current fe ...
and Rebel News Australia reporter
Avi Yemini Avraham Shalom Yemini ( Waks; ) is an Australian-Israeli far-right provocateur and commentator.Far-right: * * * * * * Since 2020 he has worked as the Australian correspondent for ''Rebel News'', a Canadian far-right website.Rebel News: ...
. A second protest was held, but this time saw council staff abused and the attendance of
neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
s. This caused the council to cancel the event, which it said was a "disappointing" decision, but they "had no choice" but to do so. The event was supposed to take place at Oakleigh Library.


Canada

In March 2023
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
City Council enacted a ban on protests around city libraries and recreation facilities as a response to protests against libraries hosting "Drag Queen Story Hour." The ban was in response to "aggressive" protests that succeeded in shutting down a Reading With Royalty event at the Seton Library. In May 2023, a
motorcycle gang An outlaw motorcycle club, known colloquially as a biker club or club (in Australia), is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purpo ...
formed a human chain to protect patrons from anti-drag protestors and escorted them inside a drag storytime event at Middlesex County Library in Parkhill, Ontario.


Finland

In July 2022, police removed protesters attempting to disrupt a drag storytime event in
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
.


France

Following public outrage online, a library in
Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
cancelled a drag storytime event.


Germany

In May 2023, conservative political leaders in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
condemned plans to hold a drag storytime event at a library in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
.


New Zealand

In March 2023, a drag storytime event was held at a library in the
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
suburb of Avondale. However, the library was forced to close due to a protest. In mid-March 2023, the "Queens Telling Stories" event at
Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
's
Tūranga Tūranga is the public library located in Central Christchurch, New Zealand. It opened on 12 October 2018 and replaced the nearby Christchurch Central Library that was closed on the day of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Location and prior bu ...
Library was picketed by 36 protesters. 160 LGBT supporters attend the Christchurch Queens reading event. On 11 March 2024,
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
drag performer Ann Arkii ("Ms. Annie") hosted a "Rainbow Storytime" at the Dunedin City Library. 50 people including parents, children, Dunedin city councillor Christine Garey attended the book recital. 12 protesters gathered outside the City Library's entrance. Police spoke to one person about abusive behaviour. On 19 March 2024, a proposed drag storytime event at
Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
's Library organised by drag performers Sunita Torrance (Coco) and Daniel Lockett (Erika Flash) attracted opposition from
Rotorua Lakes Council Rotorua Lakes Council or Rotorua District Council () is the territorial authority for the Rotorua District of New Zealand. The council is led by the mayor of Rotorua, who is currently . There are also 10 ward councillors. Composition Counci ...
lor Robert Lee and Destiny Church leader
Brian Tamaki Brian Raymond Tamaki (born 2 February 1958) is a New Zealand Christian fundamentalist religious leader, and politician. He is the leader of Destiny Church, a Pentecostal Christian organisation which advocates strict adherence to fundamentalis ...
, with the latter threatening to stage a protest if the event went ahead. Rotorua Lake Councillor Fisher Wang criticised opponents for promoting anti-LGBT rhetoric while Lee described the proposed event as inappropriate to children. In response to safety concerns about misinformation and violence, the Rotorua Lake Council cancelled the storytime event. On 26 March 2024, members of the local Destiny Church in Gisborne led by Leighton Packer painted over a rainbow crossing to protest against a Drag Queen event at the local HB Williams Memorial Library. Later that day, Destiny Church members and LGBT counter-protesters gathered outside Gisborne's library where Erika and Coco Flash were hosting the Drag Queen reading. Mayor of Gisborne Rehette Stoltz condemned the vandalism of the rainbow crossing, which was subsequently repainted by the
Gisborne District Council Gisborne District Council () is the unitary authority for the Gisborne District of New Zealand. The council consists of a mayor and 13 ward councillors. The district consists of the city of Gisborne and a largely rural region on the east coast ...
. Police later arrested five individuals who attempted to vandalise the rainbow crossing a second time. Police charged two men and a woman with graffiti vandalism in relation to the Gisborne rainbow crossing incident. Following the Gisborne protest, an upcoming Erika and CoCo Flash Rainbow Story event in
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
was cancelled by the
Hastings District Council Hastings District Council () is the territorial authorities of New Zealand, territorial authority for the Hastings District, New Zealand, Hastings District of New Zealand. The council covers the urban areas of Havelock North, Hastings, New Zea ...
due to safety concerns. According to ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation in New Zealand, ...
'', Hastings councillors, library staff and the council customer service were inundated with messages accusing the drag queen events of promoting child sexual grooming. In late April 2024, Rainbow Storytime NZ founder Sunita Torrance announced that a nationwide story hour tour scheduled for later in the year had been cancelled in order to focus on a defamation case against Destiny Church. By contrast, Destiny Church leader Tamaki welcomed the cancellation of Rainbow Storytime NZ's tours on social media. In late June, Torrance and Lockett filed a lawsuit against Destiny Church for allegedly inducing breach of contract, conspiracy to injure, unlawful means conspiracy, and defamation in relation to the disruption of their drag story events. In response, Destiny Church said it would continue to advocate for children's well-being and accused the ''
New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation in New Zealand ...
'' of promoting crowdfunding for the drag performers' legal case.


United Kingdom

In July 2022, protesters at Reading Library in Berkshire accused a drag storytime event of " sexualising their children". In August 2022, protestors disrupted a sold-out drag storytime event at the town hall in
Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...
with signs such as "Stop drag queens reading to kids". In December 2022, a planned drag storytime event in
Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
was cancelled due to protests. In February 2023, a drag storytime event was held at the
Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in En ...
art gallery in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. It was met with protesters, who were confronted by counter-protesters. One person was arrested. In May 2023, a ticketed event held at
Weston Museum Weston Museum is a museum in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England. It was established in 1861. It is home to North Somerset Council museum collection with exhibits relating to Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding area from 400 milli ...
was reported to be sold out. Drag storytime events at schools are supported by the
National Education Union The National Education Union (NEU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom for school teachers, further education lecturers, education support staff and teaching assistants. It was formed by the amalgamation of the National Union of Teachers ...
(NEU), the largest
teachers' union The following is an alphabetical list of education trade unions: __NOTOC__ A * NEA-Alaska * Alliance of Concerned Teachers (Philippines) * Alabama Education Association State Affiliate of the National Education Association. * American Associatio ...
in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.


United States

According to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' on December 20, 2022, drag story hour events "have drawn an increasing number of protests and threats across the country in recent years, including a series of tense demonstrations in New York, a city known for its inclusivity, over the last month." There is a New York City-based nonprofit organization named Drag Story Hour that has operated nationally since 2015. A 2023 report by the
Institute for Strategic Dialogue The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) is a political advocacy organization founded in 2006 by Sasha Havlicek and George Weidenfeld, Baron Weidenfeld, George Weidenfeld and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Activities ISD's core ...
(ISD) that examined "incidents of anti-drag protests, online and offline threats, and violence" found 100 incidents targeting drag queen story hours between June 1, 2022, to May 20, 2023. During the time period studied, the ISD report found
Proud Boys The Proud Boys is an American far-right politics, far-right, Neo-fascism, neo-fascist militant organization that promotes and engages in political violence.Far-right: * * Fascist: * * * * * Men only: * * * Political violence and militancy: ...
,
White Lives Matter White Lives Matter (WLM) is a white supremacist slogan that emerged in 2015 as a reaction to the Black Lives Matter social justice movement that started a few years prior. The phrase has been used by neo-Nazis, Neo-Confederates, and other white ...
, Blood Tribe, Protect Texas Kids, and Guardians of Divinity groups involved in various incidents targeted at Drag Queen Story Hour events. In New York City, incidents include reported vandalism in December 2022 by protesters at the office building and home apartment building of
New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...
member
Erik Bottcher Erik Bottcher (born May 9, 1979) is an American politician from New York City. He is a Democratic member of the 3rd district of the New York City Council, which includes the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and Hell's Kitchen. Ear ...
, who is a supporter of Drag Story Hour events, after he attended a DSH event two days prior at a New York City Public Library with protesters and counterprotesters outside. In 2023, New York City councilmembers Crystal Hudson and
Shekar Krishnan Shekar Krishnan (born June 5, 1985) is an American attorney and politician who is a member of the New York City Council for the 25th district, which covers the northwestern Queens neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, parts of East Elmhu ...
also reported harassment and intimidation from opponents of Drag Story Hour after the councilmembers expressed opposition to the protests against DSH. DQSH was banned in
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, but the ban was blocked by a federal judge. , bans are being considered in
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
,
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
,
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
,
Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
,
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
and
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
. In 2022, legislation was proposed in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
to ban the attendance of minors at Drag Queen Story Hours. A Drag Queen Story Hour at the
Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...
Public Library in March 2024 was cancelled due to a
bomb threat A bomb threat or bomb scare is a threat, usually verbal or written, to detonate an explosive or incendiary device to cause property damage, death, injuries, and/or incite fear, whether or not such a device actually exists. History Bomb threats ...
.


Bans

Bans on DSH have been proposed and enacted in several jurisdictions. Current laws make DSH events illegal in several countries, including
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. In the United States, DSH is banned in the state of
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
(but this was blocked by a federal judge) and bans are being considered in several other states.


See also

*
Drag panic Drag panic (also called drag queen panic or anti-drag hysteria) is a moral panic that stems from the belief that exposure to Drag (clothing), drag, especially for Minor (law), minors, can be harmful, due to its perceived sexual nature. Drag pani ...


References


External links


American Library Association resources for Drag Queen Story Hour Official site
{{Drag performance Public libraries Drag events Social phenomena LGBTQ-related controversies in the United States LGBTQ events