The Houston Public Library's Drag Queen Storytime is Ending for Now
The Houston Public Library’s Drag Queen Storytime will not continue this month or in the foreseeable future, according to the program’s organizers.
In an op-ed piece for Houstonia Magazine, Trent Lira and Devin Will, who also lead the band Space Kiddettes, announced they were stepping down and that the monthly event would not happen during March or after.
“What started as a fun community event shared between us, a couple of drag queens and kings, and a few families has become a national controversy,” the Space Kiddettes said in a statement. “People are being threatened. People are being hurt. We believe in what we’re doing, but we do not believe in putting our friends, our families, or our children in danger.”
This announcement came just days after news broke that a former Storytime reader was once convicted of being a sex offender and that the Houston Public Library failed to complete a background check on her. The Space Kiddettes called the incident a “systematic mistake” because the performer read in September and background checks were not enforced until October, after protesters filed a lawsuit against Mayor Turner and Houston Public Library executive director Rhea Lawson.
Read more: http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2019/03/the-houston-public-librarys-drag-queen-storytime-is-ending-for-now/
