Turning Pages: The Sparkle of Drag Storytime and Embracing Diversity

Get ready to be dazzled by the sequins of storytelling and the power of inclusivity, as we unfold the magic of Drag Storytime in our latest podcast episode. Imagine a world where our little ones flip through the pages of acceptance and self-expression, where the colorful world of drag isn't just for nightclubs but also for nurturing young minds. We're pulling back the curtain to reveal how this beautiful symmetry between drag and literacy is igniting a cultural shift, amidst the glittering backdrop of our Out in the Open festival and the heartwarming tale of "Granddad's Life."

Yet, not every chapter in this story is written with a fairy-tale ending. With an open heart, we confront the challenges and backlash that these trailblazing events face. From protests to heated debates down under in Australia, the path to change is often met with resistance. But as we share poignant stories and the resilience of the community that stands by love and diversity, we also witness the unwavering spirit of those who dare to make a difference. Join us, with or without your tiara, as we celebrate the heroes in heels reading to our future generations.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

you're listening to and explore your ability in production. I'd like to begin by knowiging the traditional owners and the custodians of the land on which this podcast is recorded on today the eight clangs of the Yorda Yorda Nation. I also pay my respects to the Elders, past and present. Hi, my name is Chris Stevens Todd and you're listening to Out Loud exploring LGBTIQA plus topics and stories. Welcome to this week's episode of Out Loud. But before we get into it all, I want to say thank you to each and every one of you for listening each week, whether it's listening via joy media on Tuesday nights or wherever you get your podcasts from. Without you, it would just be me talking to myself, to our international listeners as well, from America, south Africa, canada and Ireland tuning in each week. Thank you. Now let's get to this week's topic. We'll be covering drag storytime, which first started in 2015 in America by author and activist Michelle T, but the goal are promoting and reading and diversity. These events will be hosted by Drag Queens reading children's books and public libraries.

Speaker 1: 1:32

First, let's talk about what is Drag. Drag is an art form that has been around for centuries, including during the First World War. Drag has evolved within the gay community and it can be performed by all genders. A drag performance combines elements of fashion, makeup, dance, lip-syncing, music and comedy. It is important to remember that, like all other forms of art, it is available on a wide spectrum, from mature themes at a nightclub to child-friendly performances that would be appropriate for libraries and community centres. Just like an actor can do an R-rated movie, energy-rated kids movie, drag Queens have different levels of how they can entertain. A quote I saw from John Casey Drag Queens are incredibly talented and they are trying to live their lives and, in the process, brighten the lives of those around them. That's the message parents should be communicating to their kids at any age. It's all about acceptance and being loved for who you are. Now. That's a great quote and we should remember that as we dive into some of the areas of this podcast episode. So we'll rehash on that at the end.

Speaker 1: 2:44

During drag story time, the Drag Queens will read a storybook to children, often promoting themes of acceptance, diversity and self-expression, presenting characters and families from diverse backgrounds. The host will also often interact with the participants, answering questions. The children may have playing games, making crafts, posing for photographs with the children. The overview aim of Drag Story Time is to provide a positive message to children about the diversity of gender expression. Over time, drag Story Time has branched out across the world. Sheperdin and self has ran Drag Story Time over the past five years as part of the Out in the Open Festival at the GV Library, to great success.

Speaker 1: 3:30

We'll dive into the last Drag Story Time, which happened in November a little later on, but unfortunately, from the end of 2022, drag Story Time started to become controversial and the events were met with people opposing the Drag Queens and the books being read. The far right argued that Drag Story Time events were sexually explicit and inappropriate for children. In Australia, drag Story Time made the news in January 2020 after a protest formed by the University of Queensland Liberal National Club was made outside the Brisbane Square Library, and it turned out one of the club members was an openly gay man and a day after the protest took place he took his own life. This was suspected to be due to all the photos of him surfacing and being shared across social media. That was the main first time that it became present in Australia in the media where Drag Story Time was under attack, and in November 2022, australian drag queen who competed on RuPaul's Drag Race.

Speaker 1: 4:37

Courtney Act appeared on PlaySchool and for the listeners overseas. Playschool is the children's television program. Courtney Act was reading a children's book called the Spectacular Suit, which is about a girl who rejects her mother's request to wear a dress on her birthday because she wants to wear the spectacular suit. Courtney's appearance on PlaySchool quickly made headlines around Australia After an Australian senator held up a picture of Courtney reading the book in the Senate and asked why is AEBC, which was the station the program PlaySchool was on, was grooming children with this sort of adult content? Not sure why a drag queen reading a story about a child wanting to wear pants is considered adult content. The ABC managing director shot down the senator's words, along with Green Senator Sarah Hansen Young, stating grooming is a really serious matter and it's not for being plagued with by conservative senators to make headlines. Courtney shot back at the senator too to grow up, reading to kids about a girl in pants is not grooming.

Speaker 1: 5:49

The far right continued to attack Drag Storytime into 2023, with events needing police guarding in Sydney due to protests, and even a reported bomb threat was made to try and prevent the drag storytime from taking place In Melbourne. Drag Storytime events planned part of International Day Against Homophobia, biphobia and Transphobia were met with several protests, where Council staff were abused and the attendance of neo-Nazis. This caused the Council to have to cancel the event. Similar events were booked to take place in Bendigo, ballarat, jalong and Shepernet, across regional Victoria, where complaints were being put in against the Drag Queens who were reading the stories. Their social media accounts were being bombarded with hateful comments, where the effects towards some of their mental health is still impacting them today. Drag Storytime was planned to take place in Shepernet in November at the Goldman Valley Library as part of the Out in the Open Festival.

Speaker 1: 6:52

In the lead-up to Drag Storytime, some groups who had travelled around to target these events to get these events cancelled started calling the Shepernet Library and abusing and threatening the staff. If you lived in Shepernet, you would have also started to see cars with riding on their windows leave our children alone, stop grooming our children written on car windows and flags hanging out which I will not name the group that these flags belong to. The car park at the front of the Shepernet Library was filled with people I can only describe as far right, beeping their horns and shouting. I'm not sure why they think reading books to children by Drag performer is harmful when they are being abusive and shouting and threatening, and how this isn't harmful to children but when they are being abusive, this type of behaviour is completely okay for children to see and witness. I read a message from one parent saying their kid was asking why are these angry people shouting at us?

Speaker 1: 7:57

The Shepernet Council then announced that they were canceling the event. They needed to look out for their workers safety and everyone else's attending. The far right group then posted on social media that they had won and the event won't be happening. But there was one thing no one had counted on, and that's the LGBTI QA Plus community and how we know to stand up for ourselves and say we won't be silenced. The rainbow community angels were on their way and, with the support from the people in Shepernet, everyone showed up at the library like planned, the rainbow community angels formed a barrier with their wings. Thankfully, parents showed up with their kids who wanted to take part in the event.

Speaker 1: 8:40

That's the funny thing all drag story time is completely Up to you if you come or not. No one is being forced to take part in these events. I arrived to my daughter. There was a strong police presence and only one protester showed up. Actually, they weren't really a protester, but they showed up, made a sign and held it upside down and said some silly quotes to the media, all to make them look silly. Frocc Hudson read books to the children and the children all smiled and was Interacting and having a blast. This all happened at the front of the Shepardin Library because the event was technically cancelled, but we were like we're gonna run it anyway, so we did it on the grass at the front. There's nothing sinister, just a celebration of love, inclusion and the Shepardin community coming together. That's something these protesters didn't realize when they embarked on a regional town. It's the connections that people have within it and, at the end of the day, we are there to support each other.

Speaker 1: 9:40

So drag story time it's. It's about a drag queen who is in a character reading stories like sewing the rainbow, which is about a rainbow flag and what each color means, or this day in June, which introduces the reader to the idea of an LGBTI pride parade, because representation matters. My daughter, when she was three years old, heard a story that was being read out and it was about a girl with two dads. She stood up in the front of everyone and said that's me. I'm the girl in the book, I have two dads and that's exactly why reading stories which have topics of Families of all sorts a part of our stories important because representation and young people seeing themselves whether it's, you know, characters of color, or Someone with mom and dad, or a mom and a mom, or a dad and her dad Everyone deserves to be able to see themselves in stories, movies, etc.

Speaker 1: 10:44

So if you hear there is a drag story time event happening in your area, please support them and give the drag queens some extra love and encouragement, because behind all the glitter, makeup and colorful wigs and high heels is a person and even though our drag queens have led the way for us in many ways towards change, it's our role as well to look after them. You know that's where it's linking back to John's quote that drag queens are very talented people just trying to live their lives and they just want to give people a bit of color and brightness and and entertain the finish off this week's episode, I'm gonna Give you two clips that I recorded from the drag story time that took place in shepherden so you can hear a little bit of what drag story times about, so I do apologize. It is recorded off my phone so the audio is, and it was outside so the audio is gonna sound a little bit different. But enjoy, and I will check in with you at the end of the clips.

Speaker 2: 11:48

We're gonna start with oh, look at here with your pretty clearies coat. All of his color in the sun is really wonderful. We're gonna start with a new book that I've got in my collection, called Granddad's Life. Oh, and what's gone away? Oh, thank you. Send me like this. That's chickens, or going to the beaches. While Mum and Dad unpack Gilbert, gilbert and I go on an adventure. Gilbert loves adventures, especially if they involve chickens or walkies. Who likes dogs?

Speaker 1: 12:26

Me.

Speaker 2: 12:28

Wow, do they like walkies? Yeah, you've got two dogs. You've got to make sure you take your dogs for walkies, though, yeah.

Speaker 2: 12:38

Yeah, they need exercise and sometimes they're very good. So together we build a pirate fort in Granddad's attic room and search for hidden treasure. But wait, what's this? Look at that lovely rainbow flag. It'll make the perfect sail for our ship. Millie dinner's ready calls Granddad. Ah, I see that you found my old pride flag. What's pride, I ask? Pride is like a giant party where we celebrate the wonderful diversity of our community's. Granddad says and share the message that everyone being a part of this wonderful event becoming and supporting the library, and to give them all of your love and support, it's great to be able to have events like this happen as a part of Out in the Open.

Speaker 1: 13:33

So there you have actually it was three clips, sorry from the Out in the Open drag story time that we held in November last year and, as you can see, you can hear it was a story about the grandchildren finding grandpa's pride flag and him explaining about it and and someone a story about dogs and walking their dogs. You can see and hear the cheers and the laughter and the clapping at the end. It was well, well attended. I think there was over 30 children and their parents at the event and the massive other people that came to support and look out for everyone who is attending, along with the community angels who do such an amazing job going out to each and every drag story time that they can possibly go to to make sure that they can protect and guide the attendees coming to story time and block out any protesters and hate the community. I and I never really really hated my parents or anyone that I had a Shanghai family or anyone that I loved or loved because I'm glad they're very active in the community spirit for them and the point of this is for me to be excited about these two slides, so I do, of course is very active in the community. Part of this talk in my dream and it was so just, you know, warm the heart to see the support that we had and that you know, unfortunately, that these protesters, these people that go around from town to town they're not even from the towns that they're protesting in that are causing all this disruptiveness. And it's a shame because if they just let things go and allow people to attend the things that people want to attend and allow parents to make choices, what they would like their kids to be part of and learn from, and it would just be a much better place, you know.

Speaker 1: 15:51

So, drag story time, as I mentioned, it's a very important aspect. Kids love it. Kids love drag. They love the colour, the brightness, the glitter, the wigs. You know, it's no more than that. So please tune in to next week's episode, but if this is the first episode that you're listening to, make sure you go back and listen to the other six. You want to be a supporter of this podcast as well? There's a page that you can click and donate to. I do this solely by myself and any support is is grateful. So, and also, you know, feel free to reach out and send me a message and say hi. You can find me on Instagram, chrissteelins Todd. If there's any topics that you want me to cover and talk about, drop them into my DMs and I'll look at them and and cover some topics that are of an interest to you. So until next time.