A controversial local council program that sees drag performers read books to children in libraries has been banned by Cumberland City Council in Sydney.
The decision comes after a group of people registered their objection to the scheme by “flooding” the council’s chambers during a meeting in support of a local councillor who was calling to ban the program.
A former mayor of Cumberland City, Councillor Steve Christou made headlines last week when he put forward a motion to ban the drag program and was subsequently labelled a “bigot” by protestors. The program was being encouraged by local governments in New South Wales (NSW) looking to promote more community LGBT events in the state.
Mr. Christou said that he was echoing the wishes of his community, which did not want their children exposed to gender ideology.
According to the website for the similarly-named global program Drag Story Hour (DHS), which has chapters in several countries, DHS “captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models.”
Appearing on Sky News, Mr. Christou said he was shouted down by supporters of the drag performers at a council meeting last week when he tried to discuss the issue.
“Apparently, according to these bunch of delinquents that rolled up and couldn’t even stand up for the national anthem, showing such disrespect, we’re not allowed to have an opinion,” Mr. Christou said.
“They kept interrupting our council’s debate. They were calling myself and another councillor ‘misogynist’ and ‘bigots’—you name it—just being very disrespectful because we have a view and we represent our community.”
He added that children should not be subjected to sexualised adult themes.
“We won’t have this kind of ideology forced down our throats. Just let kids be kids. Don’t expose them to any form of sexual activity or any form of exposure. [It] doesn’t matter whether it’s heterosexual or gay, don’t expose them. Just let kids be kids. Let them enjoy being kids,” he said.
Despite not having any immediate plans to hold any drag story time events, Cumberland Council was not alone in debating the appropriateness of the program. Other Sydney councils are understood to also be considering bans.
‘Massive Win’
Speaking on Feb. 28 about the ban on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Christou said it was a “massive win for people power tonight.”In the post, Mr. Christou said the council banned drag queen reading time to children after “hundreds of people stormed the streets and flooded council chamber to express their disgust at the Labor party councillors for refusing to support my motion last week.”
“After being confronted by our local community, most of the Labor Party Councillors backed down and supported Banning Drag Theme Story Time Reading to Children. It’s a pity they could not do the right thing the first time and had to be dragged kicking and screaming to vote the correct way.”
In 2023, a similar controversy erupted over a program in New Zealand when Auckland’s Avondale library had to close a story time event featuring a local drag performer due to protestors, who were later removed by police.
In the state of Tennessee in the United States, such shows are now blanket-banned after a 2023 bill restricted “adult cabaret” performances in the presence of children and within 1,000 feet (300 metres) of schools, public parks, or places of worship.
