AG Letitia James to host ‘Drag Story Hour’ for kids in NYC — sparking outrage

[The Bobster]

AG Letitia James to host ‘Drag Story Hour’ for kids in NYC — sparking outrage

New York Attorney General Letitia James is set to host a “Drag Story Hour” for children in Manhattan this weekend — as several GOP-led states are forging ahead to try and ban simi…

nypost.com

AG Letitia James to host ‘Drag Story Hour’ for kids in NYC — sparking outrage​

By
Emily Crane


March 14, 2023 5:35pm
Updated










New York Attorney General Letitia James is set to host a “Drag Story Hour” for children in Manhattan this weekend — and the event is sparking outrage over the use of taxpayer money for the already controversial event.
James and a string of fellow elected Democratic city and state leaders plan to attend Sunday’s event in the West Village where “families with children” are invited to watch drag performers read books over a four-hour stretch.
The AG’s March 19 event is co-sponsored by Drag Story Hour NYC — a nonprofit that has been showered in taxpayers funds, which has enabled them to send drag performers into public schools and libraries to interact with children as young as 3.
“My office is proud to host a Drag Story Hour read-a-thon,” James wrote on Instagram as she promoted the event. “We’re inviting families to join us at the @lgbtcenternyc with @dragstoryhour, drag storytellers, community leaders, and elected officials.”
News of the event sparked immediate backlash on Twitter, with some claiming New Yorkers’ tax dollars were “hard at work grooming kids.”

Drag queen story hours for kids have been held at public libraries across the city since 2017 but the events have recently drawn backlash and violent protests.
“Why?? Why???? What is the purpose of government funded drag queens for children? To teach tolerance? BS,” Matt Antar, the New York Young Republican Club’s finance chairman, tweeted.


“Drag is a profession, not a “type of person.” A profession where adult men do exaggerated female impersonations often scantily clad with sexual themes… This is not the way.”


Conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair also chimed in, tweeting: “The “family-friendly” event will take place at the ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.’ Your tax dollars are hard at work grooming kids!”


Steve Cortes, a former spokesman for President Trump’s campaign, added: “This kind of explicit targeting of children is just evil.”


“Grownups want to dress in drag? More power to them. But what is this fascination with wanting people to bring their kids to your drag show?” TV personality Judge Alex Ferrer tweeted.

The AG’s event is co-sponsored by Drag Story Hour NYC — a nonprofit that has been showered in taxpayers funds.newyorkstagteag/Instagram
The Libs of TikTok tweeted: “Our tax dollars are being used by government officials to fund and promote the sexualization of our children.”


Drag queen story hours for kids have been held at public libraries across the city since 2017 but the events have recently drawn backlash and violent protests.


Cops were forced to step in when a dueling protests descended into chaos outside a story hour in Jackson Heights, Queens in December.


Footage from that scene showed some protesters brandishing a Proud Boys flag and shouting “Leave the kids alone!” at the supporters of the event.

New York Attorney General Letitia James will host a “Drag Story Hour” for children in Manhattan this Sunday. REUTERS
Just weeks earlier, protesters holding signs that read “stop grooming kids for sex” were caught on camera shouting expletives outside a drag story hour in Chelsea.


It comes as Republican-led states, such as Arkansas, look to ban such events altogether.


Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders wants to prohibit drag shows from taking place on public property in the state — a move that she says will protect children from being exposed to “sexually explicit drag shows.”

 

[The Bobster]

AG Letitia James’ ‘Drag Story Hour’ draws over 100 protesters, cops, even NYC Council guards

The event at The Center, an LGBTQA community facility on West 13th Street in Greenwich Village, had already drawn fire from critics who griped about using tax dollars to have drag performers read s…

nypost.com

AG Letitia James’ ‘Drag Story Hour’ draws over 100 protesters, cops, even NYC Council guards​

By
Kyle Schnitzer and
Jorge Fitz-Gibbon


March 19, 2023 4:38pm
Updated








State Attorney General Letitia James’ “Drag Story Hour” drew more than 100 protesters from all sides Sunday — forcing cops and even City Council security guards to the raucous Manhattan scene.
The event at The Center, an LGBTQA community facility on West 13th Street in Greenwich Village, had already drawn fire from critics who griped about using tax dollars to have drag performers read stories to children at various Big Apple locations.
Adding to the price tag Sunday was the City Council’s Sergeant-at-Arms squad, which was on hand to provide security for at least a half-dozen city lawmakers who showed up for the event.
“The council security team goes to all these events where the council members go and there’s a chance of someone being hurt,” Councilman Erik Bottcher (D-Manhattan) told The Post outside Sunday’s story hour.

State Attorney General Letitia James’ “Drag Story Hour” in the West Village on Sunday drew demonstrators, cops and city council members, who brought tax-funded guards.Gregory P. Mango

James said Sunday’s “Drag Story Hour” in the West Village was part of an effort to “condemn hate and combat rampant disinformation.”Gregory P. Mango
He said a council member who funded one of the events has had unwelcome visitors to his home and had his office vandalized, so security is “certainly not taking any chances.”


The events are co-sponsored by the nonprofit Drag Story Hour NYC, which has received more than $200,000 in city contracts since 2018, according to records — prompting outcry from critics of the kiddie sessions.


Bottcher said Sunday’s event involved “a couple dozen kids with their families” inside.


Police said at least one unruly protestor outside was arrested, while a contingent of NYPD motorcycles was seen escorting a reputed member of the right-wing Proud Boys to safety during the demonstration.

Attorney General Letitia James engages with the reading selection. RCF / MEGA “Guess what? It was like any other story hour. It just happened to be read by a colorful character in a costume,” a city councilman said.RCF / MEGA
The busted person was described by cops as an “anti-drag story protester [who was] arrested for assaulting a pro-drag agitator.”


The suspect’s identity was not immediately available.


Meanwhile, protesters on both sides of the debate faced off outside the event.


“I’m against kids being exposed to sexually explicit material, to grown men in dresses twerking in front of them showing their breasts, showing off their behinds to little kids and trying to indoctrinate them into trangenderism,” said John McGuigan of New Jersey.


McGuigan said he is gay but is rejected by that community because he is conservative.

LGBTQ supporters held up a “Stop the Hate” banner and chanted, “We are home!” behind barricades outside the nearby Kaplan Diamond Building. Gregory P. Mango

Demonstrators on both sides of the LGBTQ debate were on hand for state Attorney General Letitia James’ “Drag Story Hour” in the West Village on Sunday. Gregory P. Mango
Nearby, LGBTQ supporters held up a “Stop the Hate” banner and chanted, “We are home!” behind barricades outside the nearby Kaplan Diamond Building.


“I’m here to actually protect our vulnerable communities — our trans community, our kids,” said Michael Henry, 52, of Washington Heights. “There’s a whole lot of ignorant people in this world.”


Bottcher added, “A couple dozen kids with their families just sitting on mats and being read stories.

“Drag Story Hour” events in the Big Apple are co-sponsored by the nonprofit Drag Story Hour NYC, which has received more than $200,000 in city contracts since 2018. Instagram/lgbtcenternyc The event at The Center, an LGBTQA community facility on West 13th Street in Greenwich Village.Instagram/lgbtcenternyc
“Guess what? It was like any other story hour. It just happened to be read by a colorful character in a costume.


“And the idea that this is going to make kids want to grow up to be drag queens is ludicrous,” he said.





In a statement from the attorney general’s office Sunday, James said the whole point of the event was “to condemn hate and combat rampant disinformation.


“The recent rise in anti-LGBTQ+ protests, rhetoric, and policies has left New Yorkers — myself included — devastated and disappointed,” James said. “But I know better than anyone that when the choice is between love and hate, between joy and venom, New Yorkers will always choose love, and New Yorkers will always choose joy.”