'Drag Queen Story Hour' For Children Stirs Controversy At Library
SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. (CBS Local) — Some parents in South Carolina are upset about a program at a library where drag queens are reading to the kids.
"Drag Queen Story Hour" is scheduled to be held Feb. 17 at the Five Forks library branch in Simpsonville.
The event, which has taken place in cities around the country, is being put on by the Mom's Liberal Happy Hour of South Carolina. Organizers say it promotes kindness, confidence and tolerance.
Rylee, who has been doing drag for six years, said she's taking part because she didn't have anyone to look up to when she was growing up.
"We are diving into how children feel on the inside and if that's how they feel they can see that they have a valid person to look up to," Rylee told CBS affiliate WSPA.
But Julianna Watson, who has two children, says she doesn't feel comfortable taking her children to the story hour.
"There is a sexual side to drag queens, to what they're trying to teach, and I just think any type of conversation like that...drag queens or not is inappropriate for this age," Watson said.
Rylee disagrees, saying she believes it's best at a young age to show children diversity.
"No one is there to push an agenda on anyone. No one is there to persuade people or to recruit people," Rylee said.
A petition on <a href="https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-drag-qeen-story-time-at-the-five-forks-library-all-library-s" rel="noopener" target="_blank" change.org, titled "STOP the "Drag Queen Story Time" at the FIVE FORKS LIBRARY," aims to shut down the event.
"Public librarys [sic] have become a breeding ground for 'Drag Queen Story Time' all over the county," petition organizers wrote. "This small percentage of the population has found a legal loop hole to ensure they push their alternative lifestyes [sic] on our communities."
Meantime, the Greenville County Library System issued a statement, clarifying that the event was scheduled in accordance with it's policy on the use of meeting spaces and is "not sponsored or promoted by the Greenville County Library System."