Drag Story Hour protesters gather outside home of Queens Councilmember Shekar Krishnan
NEW YORK - Drag Story Hour protests are continuing in New York City.
More demonstrations are popping up in places other than public libraries.
The latest was in Queens Monday at the home of a councilman.
There have been protests at libraries during Drag Story Hours in Manhattan, Queens and across the country. Demonstrators who want drag artists to stop reading stories to kids move from location to location, beyond libraries.
Monday, they protested outside the home of Queens Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, with his wife and kids inside.
"They're saying Shekar is a pedophile, he is a groomer. They scrawled groomer on the street too," Krishnan said. "Shouting homophobic, transphobic slurs. Shouting racist words."
This is not the first time for Krishnan. In mid-October, the Drag Story Hour protest came to his district office with graffiti that his staffers were able to quickly remove. He says vile messages also clog his social media and phone lines because he supports Drag Story Hours, an activity parents can choose for their kids or they can avoid.
But demonstrators, including some in Baltimore Saturday, say it must not exist.
"I think it's inappropriate," one protester said.
"I just don't want somebody who is a transgender teaching our kids," said another.
Drag artist Marti Cummings calls the story hour message to kids a very simple one: Just love yourself. He calls the protestors out of touch.
"Whether these people like it or not, drag is part of our society," Cummings said.
"Everyone is welcome here. And Drag Story Hour is welcome in our libraries. And every time this kind of hate happens, we double down on the love and solidarity we show," Krishnan said.
The next Drag Story Hour in Jackson Heights is on Feb. 24th, Krishnan expects supporters will line the sidewalk out front and greatly outnumber the people he calls haters.
