Drag Queen Story Time comes to Philadelphia libraries
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Free Library of Philadelphia is celebrating Pride Month. They're teaching kids about tolerance through a special literacy program.
Dozens of children and parents gathered at the Andorra Library on Wednesday for Drag Queen Story Time with Brittany Lynn.
"She definitely commands the room. She walks in, you can't miss her," Andorra Library Supervisor Joanne Woods said.
Brittany, a creation of Ian Morrison, told the story of a prince who rescues a knight and a hero who stands up to a bully.
It was a lively performance that had kids jumping, singing, and dancing.
READ MORE: List of Philadelphia Pride Month events 2023
"I think it was amazing. It was awesome. I'd like to come to another one," Brian Clark of Roxborough said.
Morrison is spreading a message of self-love, acceptance, and diversity.
"Even though it is Pride month, I feel like Pride is something that should be celebrated every day," Lynn said.
Dozens of kids & parents gathered at the @AndorraLibrary today for Drag Queen Story Time with Brittany Lynn. Her goal is to teach self-love, acceptance and diversity. Brittany says some schools and libraries have canceled her events amid nationwide controversy about drag events. pic.twitter.com/sqcKd5mroC
— Madeleine Wright (@MWrightReports) June 14, 2023
Drag Queen Story Time is a relatively new concept that took off in 2015.
"Had there been story times like this when I was you know, living as a kid in the 80s, my life would have been a lot easier and more positive knowing there were other people out there like me," she said.
Brittany Lynn was recently featured in a PSA highlighting Philadelphia as a welcoming city.
She has been reading to children for years but says recently some schools and libraries canceled or postponed her events, amid nationwide controversy about drag events.
"They felt that reading books to children was harmful to them because of the medium that I choose to work in, which is coming here in drag. It's actually quite the opposite," she explained.
She says there's a lot of support from the community.
"It's great to start with our kids and teach them about how our world has so many wonderful things and people in it," Shirley Keith Knox of Mechanicsburg said.
And Brittany Lynn continues the mission of advancing acceptance of the LGBTQ community.