New York Public Library’s Drag Queen Story Hour Attracts Protests

Photo by Steve Solmonson for Brooklyn Paper

Protestors gathered yesterday in South Brooklyn’s Gerritsen Beach neighborhood to express outrage over the popular Drag Queen Story Hour event at the Gerritsen Beach Library. Organized by the New York Public Library as part of a program of events to raise consciousness of LGBTQ issues around the city, this particular event was hosted by drag queen Angel Alexa. “Drag Queen Story Hour captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity in childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models,” read the event’s promotional material.

Speaking to our New York Family’s sister publication, Brooklyn Paper, protestor James Bickle said, “I was rather appalled by it simply because I really feel that it is not just a diversity issue but a morality issue. It’s especially bad because it’s an indoctrination of little children.” Counter-protestors also gathered outside the library, leading NYPD officers to cordon off the entryway to the library, while the event continued inside.

Photo by Steve Solmonson for Brooklyn Paper

Barry D’Ellive, a local drag queen who came out to show his support for the Drag Queen Story Hour event, said the story-time event was perfect for combating the bigoted mindset of the protestors. “Drag queens have been almost inextricably linked to promiscuity and sexual misconduct, and something as mundane as storytime is going to help diminish that stigma,” said D’Ellive.

If you’d like to take your children to an upcoming Drag Queen Story Hour, here are the details of upcoming events in Brooklyn:

Park Slope Library
Saturday June 8 2019, 11am – 11.45am

Central Library
Monday June 10 2019, 4pm – 5pm

Crown Heights, Crown Heights Meeting Room
Thursday June 27 2019, 10.30am – 11.30am

For more details on the Drag Queen Story Time event series, check out The Brooklyn Library’s website.

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