by Gina Kinney

The A2SF exists to promote entertainment and foster a sense of community for all kinds of people. Considering that the Festival occurs during Pride Month, it makes sense that there would be events that would cater to the LGBT community. But when planning such events, the Festival staff should always make sure that they are appropriate for the audiences in their corresponding location. As such, it is completely absurd for A2SF to have events like “Drag Queen Storytime” in the KidZone.

There’s a reason why events like this are controversial. I have seen my fair share of drag shows, and generally speaking, the culture is essentially sexualized, ranging from the attire to the names, and even the performances. Even though the storytimes themselves may not be sexualized, young children are put in close proximity with adults who still practice this behavior, and the drag queens oftentimes read stories that confuse children about their identities.

Decisions over children and their bodies should be left to parents, not through propaganda by people working at and hosting the Ann Arbor Summer Festival.

The last thing parents should be worried about, particularly in this charged atmosphere, is whether their children are experiencing identity crises as a result of visiting the festival. Sexual and gender identity are not even on a child’s radar unless and until some misguided adults feel compelled to introduce such topics to them. It is one thing to explain the LGBT community to children if they inquire about it – about their existence and how they are a part of our society just like any other group of people, but it is a completely different thing to promote it to children as being normal, and that is precisely the problem with the Drag Queen Storytime.

Now, I am under the assumption that the supposed purpose of these Drag Queen Storytimes is to promote “diversity, acceptance, and being who you are,” but if this is the case, why do we need to have a drag queen to tell the stories? Why can’t we convey the same message by having an ordinary school teacher or librarian read to children? Furthermore, if we want to give children role models to look up to, what would be so bad about having a storytime hosted by a military veteran, police officer, or even a nurse to inspire children with stories of heroism and serving their community?

By having a drag queen read to children, the A2SF comes across as virtue signaling, and thus has resulted in a children’s event becoming politicized. Approving a Drag Queen Storytime in the KidZone goes beyond the message of inclusion and into the Summer Festival making a political statement.

Something that I feel I need to point out is that this is actually not the first time that the Festival is hosting the Drag Queen Storytime. The festival had hosted the event last year on June 25, and it was visited and disrupted by the Proud Boys, which eventually resulted  in a scuffle, causing the Police to make arrests and force everyone off the premises.

As such, I find it especially shocking and unbelievable that A2SF has decided to bring back the same event with the same drag queen. It seems like the festival is a glutton for punishment.