They see these readings as opportunities to spread radical queer ideologies, which are (according to a 2022 article in the conservative magazine City Journal) “undermining traditional notions of sexuality, replacing the biological family with the ideological family and arousing transgressive sexual desires in young children.”Īs a result, drag queens have become headline-making flashpoints in the wider culture war, especially in North America. It’s hard to argue with this noble purpose but right-wing critics of DQSH certainly do. To the (very) proudly progressive activists who loudly champion these events, they represent an opportunity to expand children’s understanding of those whom they might otherwise view as “different” (including, perhaps, themselves). Of course, both the Left and the Right-the (for want of better terms) “woke” and “unwoke”-have significantly different understandings of Drag Queen Story Hour. The books featured at these events often have a queer-friendly angle aimed at children, as with: Cinderelliot: A Scrumptious Fairytale, If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It, and The Gender Wheel. It then spread to public libraries and educational institutions across North America. And I first heard of it maybe five years ago.ĭrag Queen Story Hour was reportedly invented by a lesbian poet named Michelle Tea, in 2015. I’ve been doing drag for nearly 40 years. In case you haven’t heard, this is an event that features drag queens, often in a library or school setting, reading stories to little children. Like many queer people today, she’s become a victim of a homophobic backlash resulting from the popularization of Drag Queen Story Hour, or DQSH. “My mother always made sure we washed behind the ears!” But she couldn’t help hilariously and pointedly misunderstanding the protesters. There were protesters carrying signs with slogans such as “Protect our children from groomers!” Kenadie defended her participation in that event, clarifying that it was restricted to patrons over 18. Kenadie spoke of an experience she had earlier that day at a club in another Ontario city, Niagara Falls. It just means that the evening is all play, and all fun-a game and a performance-and that the drag queens love you. For this does not mean you are safe from insult, verbal abuse, racism, sexism, or any other ism out there. But if you are generally secure, you can rest assured that there is no malice here, and that you are “safe.” This is not a “woke” kind of safe though. They make you feel uncomfortable, but only in a very comfortable way. Drag queens are sexy, flirty, and obscene. This is the usual atmosphere at a gay drag bar: that is, anything goes. At one point, while flirting with a lesbian in the front row, she made a reference to her vagina-making it clear, however, that she doesn’t have one, because, as she said, “Down there is just duct tape.” Louis-based entertainer has gigantic, real (I think) breasts, and refers to herself as female, but definitely identifies as a drag queen. I don’t know who-or quite what-Kenadie St. I was recently at my favourite Hamilton gay bar (which is also, to my knowledge, Hamilton’s only gay bar) watching the incomparable Kenadie St.
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