Because of “veiled threats,” the Delaware County District Library has decided to cancel an event aimed at teens interested in drag.

The library was set to host Drag 101, a class taught by former Miss Gay Ohio America and local drag queen Selena T. West, who is part of the “drag family” of Columbus performer and philanthropist Nina West, who recently appeared on the VH1 show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Her goal with the class, she said, was to show that “drag is for everyone” and give children an outlet they may otherwise not have had.

“It’s going to be open to everybody, and I want people to come be able to express themselves and learn about drag,” she said. “Drag is not scary; drag is not sexual. (Teens can) learn about what seem like trivial things like hair, nails, makeup, clothing. Those are the building blocks of a Drag 101 class I would teach.”

The class was supposed to take place at the library’s Orange branch, 7171 Gooding Blvd., from 2 to 3 p.m. June 5.

Despite some residents who spoke against the class at a May 23 board of trustees meeting, it was scheduled to continue as planned as of May 28. But on the morning of Wednesday, May 29, library Director George Needham announced the class would be canceled.

According to library spokeswoman Nicole Fowles, the library had received “hundreds” of phone calls and emails about the event since its announcement.

She said a large portion of those calls had come from out of state, and said at one point the calls and emails were “interfering with our librarians’ ability to do their daily jobs.”

Some of those messages, she said, involved threats, which “concerned” library officials.

“A small number of (the phone calls and emails) were hostile,” she said. “A smaller number were veiled threats.”

Fowles said the library had planned to hold the event until May 28, when leaders held a meeting with Delaware County Sheriff Russell Martin.

“When we went into the meeting, he said he shared our concerns, and that was the final decision for us,” she said.

Despite the decision, Fowles said library leadership was not pleased by having to cancel the event.

“It really does break our hearts,” she said.

But not all is lost for teens who still wish to learn about drag.

West said May 28 the Drag 101 class now will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. June 5 at Secret Identity Comics, 34 N. Franklin St. in Delaware.

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