The discourse of drag queen story time challengers and supporters

Abstract

Drag Queen Story Time (DQST) is a public library program where drag queens lead a story time for children and families. Although this program is meant to celebrate diversity, the program can also invite an onslaught of political warfare against gender and sexuality nonconformity and intellectual freedom. This study analyzes the arguments of DQST challengers and supporters to better understand the motivations behind both negative and positive responses to this polarizing program. The study examines 406 publicly available letters written by community members, professionals, and vested organizations expressing opposition or support for a DQST that was hosted in a large library system in Canada, the Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) in 2019.

“What is a wave but 1000 drops working together?”: The role of public libraries in addressing LGBTQIA+ health information disparities

“…However, a growing body of conceptual and empirical work both within and outside the field contests neutrality as a construct. Key points include that neutrality is not an officially recognized or codified library value; neutrality as a construct is abstract and often applied in contradictory ways; and neutrality often bolsters an underlying status quo rife with political actors and arrangements (Chabot and Helkenberg, 2022; Gibson et al ., 2017; Gibson et al ., 2020; Kitzie et al , 2022; Unger, 1987). Participants echoed these arguments, contending that “information is not neutral” and “we can't afford to be neutral on a moving train” (PA).…”