Texas library closing for church-hosted drag queen story hour
A public library in Texas will close to the public this weekend in anticipation of demonstrations by outside political groups over a story hour run by a drag queen for children that is planned at the branch.
The library, in Leander, a city of 56,000 about 30 miles north of Austin, will provide space for the drag queen story time event, which will be hosted by a local church on Saturday. But the rest of the facility will be closed.
Drag queen story hours have made libraries the latest front in the United States' wrenching national dispute over gender roles and sexuality.
In Leander, city officials first canceled the story hour, which was to be hosted by the public library, in late May before a progressive and LGBT-friendly church in the area, Church of the Open Cathedral, stepped in to host it. The church will hold the event in a conference room it booked at the library.
Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2019/06/texas-library-closing-for-church-hosted-drag-queen-story-hour.html
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LGBTQ story hour at Leander library draws 200 protesters, supporters
A crowd of about 200 supporters and protesters, some yelling over loudspeakers and others banging drums, gathered Saturday afternoon outside the Leander Public Library, where a “Family Pride Festival and Story Time” organized for LGBTQ families took place.
Some like Eric Love, came from as far away as Atlanta to participate in the first protest that police could remember in 16 years in Leander. “Repent and be born again,” Love yelled through a loudspeaker, directing his comments at supporters of the private event that took place inside a library meeting room.
Naomi Wilson of Austin, who spent some of her time arguing with protesters, said she thought the story time gathering “was amazing.” Wilson said she came out to protect children attending it from protesters.
Formerly billed as “Drag Queen Story Time,” the event was recast late this week. Ryan Hart, pastor of the Church of the Open Cathedral in Leander, wrote on the event’s Facebook page that the drag queen who had been scheduled to read to children was unable to attend because of “an unavoidable work commitment.”
Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20190615/lgbtq-story-hour-at-leander-library-draws-200-protesters-supporters
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