Taxpayer Money Funds Drag Queen Story Hours In Schools
Taxpayer funds are supporting Drag story hour in New York City for young children, despite parent pushback.
Much of the debate over public education has focused on cultural topics, as of late. To that notion, a plethora of the topics in regard to public schools had focused on gender roles and identity. As more and more parents speak out about controversial sexual identity matters being imposed on young children at school, the debate rages on. Recently, that fixation has brought attention to drag story hour, a longstanding program that places drag queens in schools and libraries to read to children, as many are just finding out that these initiatives are funded by taxpayer dollars.
The Post Millenial recently reported that New York City has continued to fund and expand Drag story hour with the help of many city officials. They cited an LGBTQ Nation article from 2019, which confirmed that the city council had increased funding for city libraries, culminating in $564 million. Thousands of dollars were said to go to the drag queen story hour events. However, it is unknown how much of that is funded in 2022.
The information is further cemented with proof straight from the source, directly on the Drag story hour’s official website. Within, they make note that all of the programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts. Furthermore, they state that the initiative is supported by the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
So what exactly is Drag story hour? It all started in 2015, championed by queer activist and author, Michelle Tea. She started up the events, which are hosted by drag queens, with a mission to rouse not only a love for reading, but also an understanding of diversity, self-love, and appreciation. Growing in popularity, the programs are found throughout all walks of the nation, and place these drag queens inside schools and libraries to read various stories to younger children.
Although it has been growing in popularity, there has also been an increasing amount of concerned parents and lawmakers speaking against the purpose of the Drag story hours. Indoctrination has been a touchy word this school year, and many parents feel that these gender identity teachings and programs are causing confusion, and oftentimes encouraging children to explore their sexuality at a far-too-young age to understand it. A look at the social media accounts of Drag story hour further backs this concept, as oftentimes, the drag queens are seen reading contentious books like Melissa. This novel, by Alex Gino, is about a boy who wants to be a girl.
But to supporters, they feel the naysayers are latching on to something that isn’t true. They see Drag story hour merely as an attempt to normalize the idea that not everyone looks or acts the same. Furthermore, they hope that it sends affirmation to children that might be feeling similarly to them.
Despite the debates, there is no denying that public funds are supporting Drag story hour initiatives, along with a plethora of other LGBTQ activist programs all across America. More and more states are continuing to impose restricting LGBTQ legislation. But on the other hand, the Biden Administration continues to show support for the community.
