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Marion drag queen story time activates new LGBTQ allies, instills lessons amid backlash
Why parents say they bring their children to drag story time
Jun. 20, 2023 6:00 am, Updated: Jun. 20, 2023 8:09 am
MARION — After entering a discrete side entrance, getting past a bouncer in a long hallway and settling into a room where the front doors were locked and covered behind security guards, dozens of young children sat on the floor waiting for the start of an event that had some adults nervous.
Beneath rainbow decorations and multicolored balloons, the establishment’s owner started by thanking attendees for coming, despite some concerns.
“I haven’t been this nervous to talk in front of people in a very long time, so I feel like that means we’re doing something right,” said Jen English, owner of The Play Cafe in Marion. “Thank you for joining us and teaching your kids to love everyone.”
Tensions were still high for the owner of the hybrid cafe and toddler play room, four months after she announced the Drag Queen Storytime event. In preparation for potential protests, she recruited a volunteer off-duty police officer and security. Attendees were quietly instructed to wear something with a rainbow to gain entry.
In response to the public drag show ban passed into law in Tennessee and a similar bill considered by the Iowa Legislature this year, English first discussed on Facebook in February holding a possible drag queen event for children.
The backlash was instant.
The post was immediately shared to a litany of local, socially conservative Facebook groups, along with adding personal information about her and her family. She continued to plan the event, but after weeks of being stalked, threatened and harassed, she considered canceling it for her family’s sake.
After attending a drag queen story time for children at the Iowa City Public Library in March, which was disrupted by Johnson County Republican Party and other protesters, safety was a top priority. But being an ally to the LGBTQ community was also high on English’s list.
In a refusal to be intimidated, she pressed forward.
“I know members of the LGBTQ community endure that (treatment) every day,” English said. “How privileged am I to only have to deal with it this one time for this one event.”
Activating new allies
The mother of six, who is not a member of the LGBTQ community and never considered herself an advocate, said she was activated as an ally by the harassment and bullying she’s grown tired of watching.
And bullying, she said, is something children learn early on.
“The whole reason I hosted this event was because I firmly believe that everyone deserves space to feel safe. I feel a lot of people in the LGBTQ community do not have that,” she said. “I’m tired of watching people bully other people for being different.”
With an overwhelmingly positive response from many parents, tickets for last Wednesday’s event’s small venue sold quickly, prompting English to open a second story time an hour later. Before the events started, about 150 tickets were sold.
After some difficulty recruiting drag artists to read children’s books, she found three willing to attend the event. Two of them were present at the Iowa City story time when a man held up a sign calling them “groomers.”
Other drag artists declined the children’s event out of fear for their safety.
Why parents brought their children
Though the children present had little to no concept of gender or sexuality, their parents brought them to impart two main things: that some people are different from them, and that that’s OK.
They listened to drag queens and a drag king read books written for children about families. They danced to the Hokey Pokey. They squealed in delight as dozens of balloons were dropped from the ceiling.
The only notable difference at this story time was a few more wigs than normal.
Drag performer Kelsey Harrison read books at the event as Kalliope Belle with her 6-year-old son by her side. As a mom, children’s drag events are important to her.
“As they’re growing up, they’re going to have questions about things. If we answer those now, it’s never going to be an issue they (bully each other) for in high school,” said Harrison, a special education para educator at Iowa City High School. “If we answer them now, their whole lives are going to be easier.”
Harrison didn’t come to terms with her identity until she was 20 — after a childhood of seeing media that refused to show what lesbians and their families actually looked like. In the book read last week, those gentle lessons were simple: “Some families have two mommies,” or “Some families only have one parent,” among other traditional family structures.
To most of the children excited by the glamour of the event, wigs and dresses have about the same effect as a Disney princess party, she said. And like Disney movies, there’s no inappropriate adult language or imagery used.
Kristin Cannon, a Cedar Rapids mom, said it was the first drag event for her children. She believes the fear of the events comes from a lack of understanding.
“I just think it’s important for my kids to know there’s all types of people, and we need to love and respect everybody,” she said. “We teach our kids to love all different types of people, because nobody’s going away.”
Santonia Stark, who brought several children with parental permission from her summer camp at U Service Community Center in Cedar Rapids, said introducing children to people different from them is important.
“I just want the community to come together and be as one,” she said. “What is wrong with people wanting to be who they are?”
Business ramifications
Even for billion-dollar corporations, celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month in the face of conservative retaliation has put businesses in precarious positions. Businesses as large as Target have made headlines for removing pride collections with rainbow-adorned merchandise in response to threats against employees.
As a business owner, English considered the potential loss for her livelihood.
But then she considered the mission of her business.
“I don’t suspect any of my six children are part of the gay community. But statistics show it’s likely one will be,” she said. “I want to ensure I’m surrounded with people my kids will be safe around, and I’m creating a safe space for my friends’ kids, too.”
Comments: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com
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