Boston Public Library branches are set to host 19 drag queen story hour events for children and their families throughout June.
Drag performer “Ms. Patty” will host 17 of the events, while “Rose Quartz” will host another event. Another performer, “Just JP,” will host a bilingual drag story hour.
The website details the events with “Ms. Patty” as: “Children and families are invited to come and celebrate Pride Month with drag queen Ms. Patty for a fun-filled story hour of songs, stories, and more!”
The event with “Rose Quartz” reads, “Celebrate Pride Month with drag queen Rose Quartz in a fun-filled story hour of songs, stories, and more for children and families,” while the bilingual event is designed to celebrate Pride Month and raise awareness for “gender diversity, promotes self-acceptance, and builds empathy through an enjoyable literary experience.”
The story hours are advertised for children aged 18 months through five years old. Other events for children include crafts and a children’s concert featuring songs themed with “inclusivity, social justice, earth stewardship, and LGBTQ youth/family pride.”
“The BPL offers a variety of programming designed to serve the wide range of needs, pursuits, and perspectives of our community; this means that not every program will be of interest to every library user, a library spokesperson told Fox News. “Parents and caregivers are always free to make their own choices about the programs they wish to attend.”
In contrast to Boston’s activities, a county in California blocked its public libraries from hosting Pride Month events. Supervisor Garry Bredefeld led the motion to refuse libraries’ participation, arguing that the move is indoctrination. “The library now, rather than serve all members of the community in an unbiased fashion, has chosen to become advocates and promote a political agenda that many don’t support,” Bredefeld stated, as per ABC 30.
