Another Library Director is Very Candid About Supporting Sexually Deviant ‘Drag Queens’ Around Young Children
Admits that the library does not conduct criminal background checks, despite state law. Says she does not believe that bringing sexually explicit performers around kids is harmful. They’re just welcoming another “community” that the library “serves.” “I’m really excited about the program and we’re looking forward to it.”
Editor’s note: Based on the Reading Public Library’s event calendar, the Jan. 22 event appears to now be canceled.
There was a time when communities tried to protect children from those who would promote sexual deviancy. Now those people are paid handsome salaries and given the support of public officials.
Back in September 2021, we got a call from a former School Committee member in Reading, Massachusetts who’s also a MassResistance activist. He was very upset that the local public library had scheduled a bizarre “Pride Storytime” in the children’s room featuring Drag Queens and others. The event was categorized as appropriate for children “birth through 5” and (ages 6-11).
The library will also be holding another “Pride Storytime” on Jan. 22 (see below).
Our Conversation With the Library Director
About a week before the Sept. 18 event, Arthur Schaper, our Organization Director, phoned the Reading Public Library to get more information. After being transferred a few times, he was connected to a woman who identified herself as the Library Director, Amy Lannon.
Arthur asked her, “Who are the performers who will be reading at the Pride Storytime? Do you know their names?”
She said they didn’t know. She said that the library had invited the “Drag Kings, Queens and Friends” group but they don’t have any specific names. She directed Arthur to a link on the library’s website. From there he went to the group’s Facebook page, which listed the presenters for that event.
What followed was a very troubling conversation, to say the least:
Arthur: Their Facebook page shows “Nuqueer Power” and “Miss Vivienne” as readers for this event. Do those names sound familiar?
Library Director: I didn’t organize it. Our staff organized it. I don’t call up the people for these events. Our library staff does arrangements with various authors, presenters, birdwatchers, environmental people.
Arthur: I’m looking at this character “Nuqueer Power” on his Facebook profile. It’s a man dressed up as a weird woman. Do you really think that’s appropriate for children ages birth to 5 — I’m going by your calendar description?
Library Director: The program is in alignment with our mission and how we want to present and be welcoming to a wide variety of people.
Arthur: For ages birth to five — you’ve got half-naked figures on this man’s profile. What does that have to do with reading? Could you explain to me how sexually explicit entertainers reading to young children conforms or fulfills the goals of the library? I just don’t understand.
Library Director: It is supporting for our mission and our statement of being welcoming to all, including our LGBT community.
Arthur: “Being welcoming to all” — is the library going to start inviting pornography stars?
Library Director: If that’s a program you’d like to see, then you can absolutely submit it, and we’ll take it under consideration.
Arthur: You would actually entertain a pornographer reading to children? Or pole dancers?
Library Director: We cannot stop anybody from submitting a program request, no.
Arthur: But you have the authority to stop a program from taking place?
Library Director: Sure… But we are a welcoming space. And we’re committed to equity and diversity and inclusion.
Arthur: What does equity mean?
Library Director: Providing services to everyone.
Arthur: I’m just trying to understand. A library is about teaching people to read. This is a drag entertainer who engages in sexually provocative demonstrations on a stage.
Library Director: I don’t know if they’re actually going to be doing it in the Storytime.
Arthur: But that’s what drag queens do. Drag entertainment is heavily connected to alcohol and drug use. They engage in sexually explicit acts — that’s the whole point of “drag.” Why are those people presenting to kids?
Library Director: You’re welcome to email the trustees about this. They’re at: [email protected]
Arthur: Would you allow your children to be around drag queens?
Library Director: Yes.
Arthur: You’re pushing an agenda here on kids to engage in behaviors that are harmful to them. You do realize that?
Library Director: I’m not sure I agree with that. But I appreciate that’s how you feel. So thank you for sharing.
Arthur: You are the Library Director, and are allowing a Drag Queen, a sexually explicit entertainer, pushing this perversion on children.
Library Director: I’m really excited about the program and I think we’re really looking forward to it. I’m very excited about the feedback that we’ve gotten from the people who are attending. And they’re thanking us for having it.
The Pride Storytime event on Sept. 18 was apparently such a “success” at introducing young children to sexual entertainers that the Reading Public Library has scheduled another one for Jan. 22.
Library NOT Checking the Drag Performers’ Criminal Backgrounds — as Required by Law
Massachusetts state law requires that organizations such as public libraries do criminal background checks (known as “CORI checks”) on all adults who will be working with children:
[A]ny entity or organization primarily engaged in providing activities or programs to children 18 years of age or less, shall obtain all available criminal offender record information from the department prior to accepting any person as an employee, volunteer, vendor or contractor.
This past week, Arthur called and spoke with the Library Director about this. She confirmed that the library employees and volunteers do receive CORI checks. But she admitted that the Drag “performer” did not have a CORI check done before working with the children in September. As to why, she clearly didn’t want to talk about it and gave very confusing reasons.
Arthur: Prior to the September 18 Pride Storytime, was a CORI check or background check done on “Nuqueer Power”?
Library Director: Can I ask why you need to know this?
Arthur: It’s a matter of public record. And I care about kids. And it’s state law.
Library Director: I don’t think that CORI checks are public record.
Arthur: But they’re required by law.
Library Director: All employees and volunteers who work into the Reading Public Library are CORI checked. People that come into the library are not.
Arthur: You’re saying that the Drag Queen did not receive a CORI check?
Library Director: Nope. They don’t work for the library. Nor are they mandated under the guidelines required by the state according to the Department of Education or mandatory reporters. [NOTE: Department of Education guidelines or issues regarding “mandatory reporters” are not pertinent to this situation.]
Arthur: But he’s a volunteer in the library.
Library Director: He’s a program person who comes in. [NOTE: The law applies to “an employee, volunteer, vendor or contractor.”]
Library Director: For example, if we have Hank Phillippi Ryan [a Boston TV reporter and author] coming in to do a program we do not CORI check on her, even though she may be presenting to people over 65. [NOTE: There is another statute requiring CORI checks on people who work with the elderly. That is not pertinent to this situation.]
Arthur: The bottom line is that there was no CORI check. OK. Thank you.
The Reading Public Library is arrogantly ignoring this requirement. Even worse, as the Library Director admitted above, they don’t even know who the people are who will be coming in to work with the young children.
Final Thoughts
Many people still think (or want to believe) that “Drag Queen” presentations to children in public libraries somehow happen by mistake, or through an oversight. In fact, they are put there purposefully by library officials who take pride in presenting these deviant characters to children. And normal safety checks are thrown out the window.
These library officials are out to get children to accept deviant behavior as normal. But they blatantly don’t care how this can adversely affect young minds. In their opinion, it’s not their problem.
One thing that these library officials do get right, however, is that this kind of perversion does constitute “serving the LGBT community.” As we’ve observed before, LGBT activists are obsessed with children — and pushing their agenda on young people. While most of the community is sickened by these presentations, it’s the “LGBT community” and their allies who are thanking the library for hosting them.
What you can do:
Monitor your local library for similar events and work to cancel them.
Contact the Reading Library Trustees at [email protected]. Demand that they require their library to stop making offensive excuses and follow state law to protect children by getting CORI checks on these “performers.”
Originally published at massresistance.org. Reprinted with permission. For additional media content, see original post.
