A photograph showing a horned drag queen reading a picture book to children at a Long Beach public library event is one of the latest images to generate controversy.

The person shown in the image is Xochi Mochi, who posted the photo on her Instagram account on Saturday afternoon, the same day Long Beach Public Library’s online calendar shows an event called Drag Queen Story Hour was scheduled to have taken place at Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library in North Long Beach.

Commentators in conservative news and social media have since attacked Xochi Mochi’s appearance. World Net Daily on Monday published an article headlined “drag-queen demon reads to kids at Michelle Obama library.” The American Conservative ran a post Tuesday under the words “Children’s story time in Weimer America,” a likely reference to the anything-goes culture prevailing in interwar Germany before the rise of the Nazi Party.

Locally, CBS 2 news covered the reaction to the event in the context of a Southern California political race after GOP congressional candidate Omar Navarro tweeted a picture of Xochi Mochi below the words, “Demonic teachings alive in Long Beach. I’m outraged they would allow this.”

What are we teaching kids in school? Demonic teachings alive in Long Beach. I’m outraged they would allow this. pic.twitter.com/Q72nhnWbBo — Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) October 16, 2017

Federal Election Commission records show Navarro is raising money to challenge longtime Democratic incumbent Maxine Waters in the 43rd Congressional District.

Long Beach Library Services Director Glenda Williams said Tuesday that the city had not hosted a Drag Queen Story Hour prior to this past Saturday’s event. She didn’t say explicitly whether another event of that nature may take place at a Long Beach library branch in the future.

“We will continue to have events that have inclusiveness for the entire community,” Williams said.

Xochi Mochi’s own social media posts regarding the event, including an Instagram post describing her own enthusiasm for her time at the library, were still online as of Tuesday

“It’s so important to have representation and normalize all the letters in LGBTQIA+ in everyday lives,” she wrote on Instagram. “I saw so many excited faces it filled my heart with so much joy and hope to come back again soon!”

On Instagram, Xochi Mochi describes herself not as a demon, but as a “Los Angeles based Killer Klown from Outer Space.” That’s a reference to a comedic 1988 movie in which the titular Killer Klowns invade an American town.

Long Beach Library’s official Twitter account does not show a photo of Xochi Mochi. On Facebook, library officials published a statement on the controversy.

“The storytime was very well attended, with 60-70 people in attendance,” the post read. “Unfortunately, the social media post the City of Long Beach Public Library shared to celebrate LBGTQ History Month received several hateful and harmful comments to the LGBTQ community, mostly from those outside of Long Beach, and ultimately the City decided to remove the post as it was no longer a productive conversation.”

Williams said it was her understanding that Drag Queen Story Hour was well received among people who were present for the event.

“The people that attended the program said it was a really great program,” she said.

Long Beach isn’t the only city where similar events have taken place. The library system credits Michelle Tea and Radar Productions of San Francisco with creating the Drag Queen Story Hour concept.

“In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where people can present as they wish, where dress up is real,” reads a statement on Drag Queen Story Hour’s webpage. Organizers advertise the possibility of story hour events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and northern New Jersey.

Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library opened in September 2016, replacing a vacant movie theater at 5870 Atlantic Ave. The library is in the city’s Ninth Council District, represented by Councilman Rex Richardson.

Richardson said library staffers made the right call in deleting a social media post showcasing Xochi Mochi’s appearance, given a plethora of derogatory and offensive replies. He also said he didn’t want to see library staffers be villainized over Saturday’s event.

“Frankly, I just don’t like the kids or the library, which represents so much good stuff, to be politicized,” Richardson.

The councilman also said he would expect LGBTQ events to be welcome at the city’s library system in the future.

“If the LGBTQ community wants to have activities at our libraries, they’re more than welcome,” he said. “It’s a public institution that represents everyone.”