Despite some complaints about its appropriateness for young audiences, organizers of an upcoming Drag Queen Story Hour at the Windsor-Severance Library said the event will continue as planned.
Sponsored by the Northern Colorado group , the children鈥檚 story hour will feature drag queens reading children鈥檚 books with inclusive storylines.
鈥淭he event is going to go on because it鈥檚 the right thing to do,鈥� said SPLASH director Kimberly Chambers. 鈥淗aving conversations with our young children about diversity 鈥� no matter what that looks like 鈥� is an important factor.鈥�
Last week, the library announced the Jan. 12 event with a press release and began displaying posters advertising it. Dozens of residents spoke out for and against the event at a Clearview Library District Board meeting, . Questions were raised about the appropriateness of the program, particularly regarding the story hour鈥檚 targeted age group 鈥� kids ages 2-8.
But Chambers said that鈥檚 exactly the age group that should be hearing this program鈥檚 message of inclusivity.
鈥淏oys assigned at birth are saying they are girls or that they want to wear skirts, and vice versa,鈥� Chambers said. 鈥淎nd so what we鈥檙e seeing is this need for resources and a little more equity in the world of gender expression for our youngest population.鈥�
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, .
Chambers said, it's also important to help children understand that when other kids express their gender in a different way, that it鈥檚 normal and natural.
鈥淲e have LGBTQIA community members living around us all the time. We may not know that,鈥� Chambers said. 鈥淎nd so that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important for us to have that kind of programming in the public libraries where community members have access to learn more, to share with their families and to really participate in diversity and inclusion.鈥�
This is the first time Drag Queen Story Hour has been brought to Northern Colorado libraries. The has been produced in other parts of the state, including Denver and Boulder. Chambers said she is currently working to bring events to Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley.
