NEW YORK (PIX11) — Notwithstanding recent demonstrations in New York City, the New York Public Library plans to carry on with its monthly “Drag Story Hour.”
The website of the library advertises a bilingual drag story hour that will take place on March 14. The children will be exposed to drag as a kind of dress-up and play in two languages while seeing a local drag performer who has been educated by children’s librarians.
In 2015, San Francisco became the birthplace of the drag queen story hour. There are now chapters all across the United States, one of which is located in New York City.
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In the past, comparable drag literary events in New York City have aroused intense emotions from both supporters and opponents.
In December, demonstrators in Jackson Heights waved flags and banners in support of a drag story hour event that was scheduled to take place at a Queen’s public library.
A number of protesters gathered up to voice their opinion that youngsters should be shielded from the literary readings given by the performers. For the sake of crowd control, the police were called to the event.
Members of the Proud Boys and other protesters have been seen showing up at other local events with signs and yelling chants.
Local drag story hours have been helped organized with the assistance of New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher. During the month of December, anti-drug protestors defaced the councilman’s home as well as his place of business with obscene graffiti.
In an earlier interview with PIX11, he stated, “The kids were really enjoying the books, and it was just like any other story hour.”
The organization known as Drag Story Hour NYC said in a statement that it backs Bottcher and will continue to develop the event.
According to the findings of a study conducted by the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD in 2022, at least 141 drag shows were either attacked or threatened.
