Topline
Drag story hour events, in which a drag performer reads to children, have been targeted by anti-LGBTQ protesters who push false claims these events sexualize children, resulting in intense protests and frequent arrests as politicians continue to politicize the topic.
Members of far-right group Proud Boys raise signs to protest against Drag Story Hour outside the … [+]
Timeline
Three were arrested in Boston, reportedly including the leader of local white supremacist group Nationalist Social Club, after about 20 men protested a story hour at the Loring Greenough House, shouting anti-LGBTQ slurs and taunting demonstrators who arrived in support of the event.
A woman was arrested in Bristol, United Kingdom, on suspicion of assault as protesters disrupted a drag story hour at the Henleaze Library, resulting in the event’s postponement.
Two were arrested in Berkshire, U.K., at separate story hour protests, one in Woodley and one in Wokingham.
A man was arrested after allegedly getting into an altercation with a police officer after confronting a group of anti-drag protesters at a Manhattan library.
At least one was arrested after protests grew “vicious” outside the Queens Public Library in Jackson Heights, where both supporters and protesters, including the Proud Boys, gathered.
London police arrested one person on suspicion of making a racially aggravated comment toward police at a drag storytime event at the Tate Britain art gallery.
Another person was arrested outside the Queens Public Library in Jackson Heights and charged with assault, reckless endangerment and possession of a weapon after throwing a rock toward the anti-drag protesters and hitting a woman in the head.
Two were arrested after an altercation at the “Rock & Roll Humanist Drag Queen Story Hour” in Wadsworth, Ohio, where several hundred protesters and supporters attended, some armed, according to police.
Key Background
Author Michelle Tea launched Drag Story Hour, a nonprofit based in the U.S., in 2015 to organize events for drag performers to read stories to children, among other literary and creative programming focusing on diversity and inclusivity. Chapters have since opened around the world, and supporters have praised the organization for its emphasis on diversity and helping children enjoy reading. But protests have broken out in recent months as opponents push false claims that drag sexualizes children, and some states have introduced legislation that would prohibit drag artists from appearing in front of minors. Bills in states like Texas, Tennessee and Kansas would classify drag shows as “sexually oriented” events or as exposing minors to “obscenity,” making it illegal for these events to take place in public where minors may be present. Prominent politicians like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have condemned these events as “sexually charged” and pushed for their cancellation. Famous supporters of drag have spoken out against the wave of anti-drag and anti-trans legislation, including RuPaul, host of RuPaul’s Drag Race, a show credited with bringing drag into the mainstream.
Crucial Quote
“Drag queens are the Marines of the queer movement,” RuPaul said in an Instagram post last week, urging followers to register to vote “so we can get these stunt queens out of office and put some smart people with real solutions into government.”
Tangent
Plenty of large protests have broken out without any arrests made. Protests and threats to a number of story hours during Pride Month last year led to the cancellation of such events in North Carolina, California and at an U.S. Air Force base in Germany. One story hour protest at an Oregon pub in October attracted about 200 protesters and counterprotesters, who threw smoke grenades and rocks at each other. Some were armed with semi-automatic rifles and one person was taken to the hospital with an unspecified injury, though no arrests were made.
Big Number
141. That’s how many protests against drag events GLAAD—the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation—recorded in 2022, which they said became increasingly violent as the year progressed.
Surprising Fact
About 200 people gathered outside a pub to protest a drag story hour in East Dulwich, U.K., last week—but there was no drag event scheduled for that day, and the pub was empty. The error stemmed from these events accidentally being listed as monthly on the pub’s website, though one had not been held since July 2022. No arrests were made, though police were present.
Further Reading
How Drag Queens Became A Right-Wing Target—From Alex Jones To Tucker Carlson–With These States Trying To Ban Story Hours And Shows (Forbes)
Drag Story Hour protest in NYC caps a year of anti-drag attacks (NBC News)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/03/15/drag-story-hours-spark-angry-anti-lgbtq-rallies-here-are-all-resulting-in-arrests-so-far/