The arrival of a Bristolian Drag Queen to read stories to children and their parents in three Bristol libraries on Thursday (July 28) sparked protests, counter protests, a police operation, an arrest and a reaction from thousands of people in the city. All three libraries saw the same drama as a small group of protesters came from all over the country to try to stop the Drag Queen Story Hour event at Henleaze, Hillfields and Stockwood - with a larger group of campaigners turning out to support the event and counter the first protest.
There was one arrest - although the woman detained was soon de-arrested - and heated scenes at all three libraries. The event was postponed at Henleaze but went ahead with parents and children enjoying stories from drag queen Aida in Hillfields and Stockwood.
Bristol Live covered the events across the city as they unfolded - and the Story Hour concept - and the protests sparked a massive response with thousands of commenters debating the issues. Of more than 2,500 comments under the articles and live broadcasts on the Bristol Live Facebook page, the vast majority were supportive of the Drag Queen Story Hour events, and questioned the protests against it.
Read more: One person arrested at Drag Queen Story Time protest
The extreme nature of some of the protesters' signs, which linked drag queens with paedophilia and child-grooming, sparked fury among hundreds of commenters, including Rosalind Chalcraft. "It’s not really much different from taking your kids to pantomime where they normally have a drag queen in? Or do they oppose that as well?” she asked on Facebook.
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The comparison between a drag queen reading stories to children in a library with an actor in drag as a traditional dame in a panto every Christmas was made by many. “Most pantomimes have men dressed as ladies and children have been going to them every year, for years..” wrote Jodie Adams. “What is the difference... I'm sure most if not all the against have been to at least one pantomime.”
Mitchell Woolf added: “Children get taken to pantomime shows ALL THE TIME and there are always Drag Queens involved with pantomime. People need to stop being so hateful and fast forward to 2022. Grow the hell up!”
Other commenters pointed to the long tradition of drag in the UK, from Shakespeare to music hall and working men’s clubs and panto, and called the opposition to the Drag Queen Story Hour homophobic. “Can I point out that drag queens have been going since the 1500s, since Shakespeare and will continue till long after these hateful muppets are gone,” said JT Cope.
“Drag is just a form of comedy,” wrote Lewis Atkins. “It's been going on in theatres for decades.
"If you don't want to see it then simply don't go. Turning it into some homophobic attack is just ridiculous and goes to show the level of intelligence of the anti drag protesters.”
Others pointed out that, from Danny La Rue and Les Dawson to Lily Savage and Dame Edna Everage, drag acts have been in mainstream family entertainment for decades.
“We take kids to pantomimes and cabarets on a regular to watch men in drag acting stupid, and yet people have a issue with this,” said Kaylee Musgrove. “Yeah, that's not contradiction at its finest.”
Char O'Connor added: “Bet every one of those geriatrics loved Lily Savage.”
A sizeable minority of commenters supported the protests against the Drag Queen and condemned the events in the libraries.
Nicola Ceri also linked drag queens with sex entertainment, in response to the counter-protesters saying they were there to show solidarity with trans people. “Drag is sexualised adult entertainment. It isn’t about trans, it’s panto, it is men putting on an exaggerated and sexualised woman face,” she said.
Louise Mullins added: “Some people can't distinguish drag from trans. Neither can they understand that only adults have negative opinions on either. Kids. Don't. Care. Who. Reads. Them. A. Story,” she wrote.
Paul Ambrose’s thoughts represented many of the hundreds and hundreds of people who commented. “Don't take your kids if you don't want to,” he said. “Free choice for all, stop forcing others to follow your choices in life.”
Jake Hall reminded readers that the leading children’s entertainer of the 21st century in the UK - CBeebies’ Mr Tumble - appears often on the TV in drag. “To all the people saying drag is adult entertainment,” he wrote, sharing a photo of Mr Tumble in a dress.
“This is Mr Tumble, well if you have kids you will know. This is on CBeebies! People need to stop making problems!” he added.
The idea of a drag act on children’s TV is one thing, but Phill Upshall was not impressed with the thought of a drag queen reading stories. “Have we really come to this as a country??..What next Drag Queens reading the News?” he asked.
John Camm said there was a difference between panto and Drag Queens, and while he had a problem with drag queens reading stories to children, it would not be a problem if the library hired a pantomime dame.
“It really isn’t difficult,” he said. “If you search ‘drag queen’ it will show some explicit adult content, not what any decent parent is going to want to expose their kids to.
“Hire a Pantomime Dame for story hour then I can’t see the problem. I’m sure if my memory serves me correctly, at some point in my youth Christopher Biggins read a story to my school or cub group. In full pantomime dame gear, which is definitely not related to adult sexual content.
"No problem then, and that was the 80s. Pantomimes are good family entertainment, drag queen is more of a grey area,” he added.
But a lot of commenters expressed their support for the drag queen - Bristol-born Aida H Dee - and slammed the protesters outside trying to stop the library events.
“What an awful example for the children and their families, and so disappointing they didn't get their story time,” said Sarah Goulty, after the event in Henleaze was pulled at the last minute. “This tour is going to many libraries, check Aida out on YouTube, it's entertainment in the pantomime tradition, and inclusive and fun,” she added.
Aida shared a video on Twitter of the children inside the library singing Wind The Bobbin Up to drown out the noise of the protesters outside, tweeting: "THIS HERE IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT!!!
"Scenes from inside Henleaze Library whilst protesters were shouting slurs outside! @bristollibraries Imagine being one of these parents <3 I am sorry this happened! Henleaze has been rescheduled."
Bex Mountford said the reality of the Story Hour was far removed from the way the anti- protesters outside imagined it. “Utterly ridiculous protesting this!” she said. “They’ve clearly never been to one. It’s so harmless.
"Even more so than panto dames with their risqué ‘adult’ jokes that go over the kids heads. You’re scaring the kids more than the wonderful queens will!” she added.
And Kate Northam expressed support for Aida. “Good on you,” she wrote. “I would be honoured to take my kids to hear you read stories. Protestors are only giving us an opportunity to talk to our children about the ugliness of hatred.”
Finally, Sarah Austin drew comparisons between a Drag Queen Story Hour and another event her child had been to. “I once took my child to a Gruffalo story time. Strangely enough she still identifies as a human and has never expressed an urge to live in the woods,” she said.
Read next:
- Parents' anger over drag queen storytelling in Bristol school (2018)
- Watch Drag Queen entertain Bristol primary school children on World Book Day (2018)
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Disruption and 'fears for safety' at Drag Queen Story Hour library tour protests
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