As much as we say “it gets better,” now is not an easy time to be an LGTBQ+ child or an adult who loves and cares for one. As schools and libraries come under fire for providing information on and stories about the spectrum of gender and sexual identity, queer children are at risk of seeing themselves pushed aside in the wake of insistence on heteronormativity (and by extension, homophobia and transphobia).
In looking to uplift LGBTQ+ youth, librarians, teachers, and community organizers can turn to people who have always been at the forefront of the queer rights movement: drag performers.
Founded in 2015 by writer Michelle Tea and RADAR Productions, with Julián Delgado Lopera and Virgie Tovar, Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is “just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores.” (Read more DQSH herstory here: https://www.dragqueenstoryhour.org/about/).
With chapters across the United States and around the world, Drag Queen Story Hour offers family-friendly events that are inclusive, entertaining, and educational. While many people associate drag with nightlife or club entertainment, like most artists, DQSH’s “drag queens, kings, and creatures” can gear their performances toward a variety of audiences. Drag is not inherently sexual, but rather always seeks to play with gender in a way that highlights its fluidity and contradictions. DQSH envisions “a world where kids can learn from LGBTQ+ herstories and experiences to love themselves, celebrate the fabulous diversity in their communities, and stand up for what they believe in and each other.”
Conservatives and religious organizations have protested DQSH events (including an April 9 event at Ohio State University) claiming they are not suitable for children—those claims resting on homophobia and transphobia, not to mention dubious grasps on biology and the difference between sex and gender. The arguments aren’t worth recounting here, except to say they are ironic given the amount of generally accepted heteronormative romance and sexuality depicted in children’s literature and films. Clearly, the conservative argument is not genuinely made for the protection of children, but rather is a familiar discriminatory argument against queer existence, queer presence, and queer joy.
Like all queer people, the performers who read for DQSH aren’t strangers to facing discrimination or vitriol from those who misunderstand them (deliberately or otherwise). Tall Tales with True Queens, a short film directed by Kristina Budelis and Leandro Badalotti, shares the DQSH mission and the performers’ and organizers’ commitment to sharing stories of inclusion. (Watch the film here: https://www.them.us/story/tall-tales-with-true-queens-short-film)
“I believe that hate isn’t inherited, it’s taught,” says Ms. B, one of the program’s first performers in New York City. “So, if we can teach these kids how to love and accept everybody, they’ll definitely be the best generation that we could ever ask for.”
The film also captures the responses from those whose thoughts on the events matter most: the kids. They report loving the variety of books the queens read, being in awe of the queens’ outfits, and of course, looking forward to the next story hour.
“They’re setting a great example of being different, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” eleven-year-old Kennedy says.
The work DQSH does to promote inclusion through art, literature, and performance is essential to all children so that they might understand themselves and each other. Children’s media is essential to children building their identities, and all children deserve that opportunity in their classrooms and in their libraries.
To learn more about hosting a virtual or in-person DQSH event, starting your own DQSH chapter, or the variety of programming DQSH offers, visit https://www.dragqueenstoryhour.org/.
See a list of DQSH performers’ favorite queer-affirming children’s books here: https://www.them.us/story/drag-queens-childrens-lit
If you're looking for some drag queen library reads, get the picture book The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish Swish Swish here.
Make sure your patrons have plenty of seating by ordering a Large 38-inch Bean Bag Chair.