Most everyone knows story hour is generally associated with pre-schoolers at public libraries. Cherubic little boys and girls come with an adult, not a-typically a mom, and gather around someone who is reading them a story. Usually, it’s a children’s librarian or a volunteer who is especially good with this age group.
Unfortunately, in recent years parents taking their toddlers for a local library story hour should call to see who the featured reader will be because drag queens—men dressing and made up as women—are too frequently showing up at these programs that for years have been a staple for our public libraries.
Supporters of these so-called “story hours” maintain that these events are innocuous, that they are not about “grooming” or attempting to make the children question their own so-called “gender identity.” They work extremely hard to downplay how bizarre the whole set-up is. If you have any question, just do some online research to take a look at how, and I’ll use the word again, bizarre these men look. At a minimum, they mock decent womanhood. At worst, they are lewd, indecent, decadent. There’s nothing wholesome or normal about the flagrant display that mocks God’s creative order.
In their own words, here’s what the Drag Queens say about the purpose of their story hour: it “captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where everyone can be their authentic selves!”[1]
This is clearly designed to remove God-given biological sex distinctives and differences and to make young children question how they are created. It’s also a brazen attempt to normalize this decidedly abnormal behavior. The drag queen’s purpose statement basically comes out and says that. On another drag story hour website, promoters of these programs allege that “[a]ny insinuation that [they] have an agenda to indoctrinate children misunderstands LGBTQ experiences and is rooted in homophobia and transphobia.”[2]
Fortunately, in spite of these aggressive efforts, which are all too often openly embraced by public libraries and schools, parents know these displays are not appropriate for children. A recent Rasmussen poll substantiates this. In fact, according to Rasmussen, “the parents of school-age children…overwhelmingly oppose the phenomenon in which men dressed as women perform for children.”[3]
The survey found that 60% of American adults consider “Drag Queen Story Hour” not appropriate for children, including 44% who say it’s not at all appropriate. “Among those who are parents or parents of school-age children, a majority believe “Drag Queen Story Hour” is Not At All Appropriate for children.”
This survey also found that 71% of American adults don’t believe taxpayers should fund these events. You might be wondering if taxpayer funding is or has been involved. Well, since public libraries and schools are largely funded with public monies—meaning taxpayer funds—every time one of these debauched story hours takes place in a public library or government school, taxpayers are in some way funding it.
In June a report found that since 2018 in New York a drag queen group doing these events had received more than $200,000 to support its appearances at schools, street festivals, and libraries.[4] If it’s happening in New York, there’s a good possibility that even this type of funding is happening in The Badger State.
The push to normalize drag queens now includes shows in very public venues, like city parks and farmers markets. We saw this in several Wisconsin communities this past summer, and they should serve as reminders that those pushing this agenda won’t stop until they have achieved full acceptance, normalization, and even adulation.
The best way to stop these offensive events from coming to your public library or government school is for citizens to let library boards and school boards, as well as library directors and district superintendents know their opinion about them. These appalling displays of men trying to act and look like women in front of children don’t have to be a done deal in any community.
This is Julaine Appling for Wisconsin Family Council reminding you the prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
[1] https://www.dragstoryhour.org/about
[2] https://www.dragstoryhour.org/general-9
[3] Most Parents Oppose ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ - Rasmussen Reports®
[4] Over $200K being spent on drag queen shows at NYC schools (nypost.com)
Our mission is to advance Judeo-Christian principles and values in Wisconsin by strengthening, preserving, and promoting marriage, family, life and liberty.
© 2021 Wisconsin Family Council
