Drag Queen Story Hour and Transinclusive Group have been targeted by Floridian lawmakers since late May this year. The attacks don’t seem like they are going to let up anytime soon. Drag Queen Story Hour, Transinclusive Group, and GLAAD are responding to all the recent attacks by conservative politicians and the public alike.
Drag Queen Story Hour is an inclusive, family-friendly program that celebrates reading through the glamorous art of drag where kids can be their authentic selves. Their vision is to have a space where kids can learn from LGBTQ herstories and experiences to love themselves, celebrate diversity, and stand up for what they believe in and each other. The Transinclusive Group aims to protect and defend equality for transgender and LGBTQ individuals in South Florida by working with community providers to end stigma, discrimination, and racial disparities to address health determinants in BIPOC and LGBTQ individuals.
The attacks began this May 27, when Senator Marco Rubio demanded that a Drag Queen Story Hour event at an Air Force base in Florida be canceled because it’s a “gross abuse of taxpayer funding to place children in a sexualized environment.” The senator’s letter ultimately caused the event to be canceled. This sparked further incidents, like protesters shouting slurs outside an all-ages fundraiser outside a Dallas gay bar and conservatives threatening to harm the Chair of the Apex Festival Commission and his family if Drag Queen Story Hour wasn’t canceled from the Kid Zone at the Apex Festival.
This wasn’t the worst of the attacks on Drag Queen Story Hour. More lawmakers decided to step in and create more harmful rhetoric backed by threats of dangerous legislature. Florida Representative Anthony Sabatini proposed legislation that would not only charge parents with a felony for taking their children to a drag show or reading but also strip them of their custody. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also held a press conference to look into using present child protective statutes to fast-track the ban on drag performances for minors. Representative Sabatini has says that this bill will be drafted later this month.
BREAKING: Drag Sex Shows aimed at children have come to Florida
I will be proposing Legislation to charge w/ a Felony & terminate the parental rights of any adult who brings a child to these perverted sex shows aimed at FL kids
When will the sexualization of children stop? pic.twitter.com/m8cJ2ORNJo — Anthony Sabatini (@AnthonySabatini) June 7, 2022
We know that legislature like this has life-threatening consequences. The CDC reports that 48% of LGBTQ youth considered attempting suicide in 2021 partially due to the uptick of anti-LGBTQ bills being proposed in the past few years. Knowing the impact of these consequences, Drag Queen Story Hour is speaking out.
“Rather than address real threats across the country—like the devastating epidemic of gun violence—right-wing politicians are spreading dangerous conspiracy theories about, and inciting violence against, drag performers, and LGBTQ communities … Any attempt to criminalize our work is rooted in tired homophobic and transphobic hate and misinformation, and we refuse to give in to politicians who are too bigoted and boring to comprehend our vision for a world in which every child can be safe fully expressing who they are,” Drag Queen Story Hour says.
Tatiana Williams, Transinclusive Group executive director says that, as it has always been part of the LGBTQ community, drag is here to stay.
“Banning drag shows out of a misguided fear that some youth might find a sense of connection with the LGBTQ+ community would be an invasion of parents’ rights to raise their children and support them as their authentic selves,” Williams says.
Sarah Ellis, GLAAD president, and CEO adds that the real threats to children include gun violence in schools and legislation banning lifesaving healthcare.
Citing a statistic that one in four LGBTQ teens attempted suicide last year, Ellis says, “Let’s focus on actual problems facing students, and hold lawmakers accountable to keeping all kids safe from real harm.”
We should all come together as a community to support Drag Queen Story Hour and stand firmly with them for all the young people who want to embrace themselves.
Photo courtesy of Drag Queen Story Hour on Facebook
