A story hour for children hosted by a drag queen was stormed by protesters who hurled abuse at the event’s performer.
Aida H Dee, the drag performer, started her tour of the “Drag Queen Story Hour” across the UK this week, with the first event at Reading Library on Monday morning.
Two protesters entered the reading session in a bid to disrupt the event at around 9.30am, while around 25 demonstrators stood outside the library in Abbey Square.
Dozens of police officers attended the protest but no demonstrators were arrested. Protesters, who were brandishing placards and banners, accused the event of not being appropriate for children.
A spokesperson for Reading Council told The Independent they were “saddened by the events” as they criticised protesters for disrespecting parents’ decisions to buy tickets for the story hour.
The representative added: “It is extremely disappointing that a small group attempted to disrupt story time. This was a ticketed event and all parents attending were aware of the nature of the performance. It is regretful that some people chose not to respect parental choice.
“The council does not tolerate threats or abuse against our staff, members of the public or the entertainers we have invited to perform at our venues. We worked closely with the local police and our own security teams to ensure the safety of everyone attending the event.
“Reading is a diverse community and our library service seeks to reflect and celebrate that by hosting and supporting a wide range of artists and audience experiences.”
The spokesperson stated Drag Queen Story Hour UK is “a well-established professional children’s entertainment provider”, adding the events are centred around the “theme of accepting differences”.
“We are pleased to say those who attended the performances have given positive feedback saying that the content is both entertaining and age-appropriate,” they added.
Aida H Dee addressed the protests in a statement on Twitter as she urged people not to be deterred from attending future events.
“Please don’t let these stupid protesters stop you from attending the rest of the events across the country,” the performer said. “I promise you that we are more than prepared for these stupid people, and I can assure you my stories will be just as fabulous!”
Aida H Dee told the BBC her performances have no sexual language and explained Aida is supposed to be a positive LBGT+ role model for children.
“What is confusing is that these groups are attempting to create a sexual focus here where none exists by drawing attention to sex and sexuality,” the performer said.
The 27-year-old said she has previously endured threats, adding: “At the time, I was shaky and it was emotional but this is my job, I refuse to let it affect me in any major way”.
The performer, who holds sessions for children aged 3-11, has nearly 70 events scheduled in 20 different parts of the UK in forthcoming weeks, with more demonstrations scheduled.
“Drag Queen Story Hour UK provide fun and interactive kids’ shows with amazing and talented drag performers!” the project’s website states.
“Drag Queen Story Hour UK wants to show the world that being different is not a bad thing, and by providing imaginative role models for children to look up to, we can change the world book by book! We bring you 5-star performers who have performed all across the UK in schools, festivals, museums, nurseries, private events and more!”
The protests in Reading follow Republican proposals to ban drag shows for children in the US. The head of Drag Queen Story Hour in America recently told The Independent that such plans are "just smoke and mirrors" to take attention away from the party's inability to stop gun massacres in schools.
A report, shared exclusively with The Independent last year, found young LBGT+ teenagers in the UK are more than twice as likely as their heterosexual peers to worry about their mental health on a daily basis.
The survey, by Just Like Us, a charity which supports LGBT+ young people, revealed that 55 per cent of LGBT+ 11- to 18-year-olds are anxious about their mental health on a daily basis, in comparison to 26 per cent of non-LGBT+ people.
The findings mirror the disproportionately high rates of mental health problems among LGBT+ adults, with previous polling finding just over half had suffered depression in the last year, and three in five had experienced anxiety.
