Alberta Library’s Drag Queen Storytime for Children Meets With Protest

A file photo of a protester demonstrating against a drag queen performance for children in Vancouver on Jan. 14, 2023. Jeff Sandes/The Epoch Times

A drag storytime at the Grand Prairie Public Library on Tuesday drew a dozen or more protesters, one of whom held a sign calling it “child abuse.”

Protesters clashed verbally at times with attendees outside the library, as seen in a recording an observer posted on Facebook. One protester called the drag performance “sexual activity.”

“We don’t care how they dress, don’t bring it onto our children,” another protester said. An attendee at the event, holding a small child, engaged with the protesters saying she also has the right to bring her child into the event and she believes in free choice to do so. The protesters said they support her right to make that choice, though they don’t agree with it.

A local drag performer who goes by the name of Tiffany read “Green Eggs and Ham” to the children. The Grand Prairie Pride Society posted photos of the event on Facebook. They showed the performer wearing a colourful polka-dot dress and translucent elbow-length black gloves. On the performer’s social media accounts, the garb is more racy, with short skirts, mid-thigh-high nylons, prosthetic breasts with protruding nipples, and provocative poses.

The library did not reply to The Epoch Times inquiry as of publication.

The Pride Society said, “Drag storytimes have become the subject of hate across Canada and the U.S. and we want to make sure this one is a symbol of love and inclusion while promoting literacy.”

Earlier this month, a couple dozen protesters gathered outside of Coquitlam Library in British Columbia where local drag queen Conni Smudge read a story to children. Smudge has a YouTube video storytime series for children; one of the books she has read on it is titled, “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish.”

Croy J. (who declined to give his whole name) attended the protest carrying a Gays Against Groomers flag. He told The Epoch Times the drag storytime events are “on the road to” pedophilia. “We now have sexualized materials for children in libraries, and now we’re putting drag queens, which are synonymous with burlesque, into libraries, reading books with children,” he said.

An “all-ages” drag show in Kitchener, Ontario, drew some criticism in December. It was hosted by Bingemans recreation centre as part of a Christmas lights display event.

Former MPP Belinda Karahalios criticized the government for funding the Kitchener show, as shown on a flyer for the event. “Why is [Premier Doug Ford] using taxpayer dollars to pay adult men dressed as women to ‘perform’ for children? Drag shows – by their nature – are not for ‘all ages,’” she said on Twitter.

Ford’s office did not reply to The Epoch Times request for comment.

Miss Drew, a performer in the show, replied: “I would be more then happy to have a discussion about your hate motivating tweet.”

Jeff Sandes contributed to this report.