Houston library sued by anti-gay activists over Drag Queen Story Hour

Tatiana Mala-Niña is shown before a performance at Rich's Houston, 2401 San Jacinto St., Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Houston. Tatiana Mala-Niña said when she first started reading to youths there were no protesters, and the kids were excited to see her as a larger-than-life character. less Tatiana Mala-Niña is shown before a performance at Rich's Houston, 2401 San Jacinto St., Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Houston. Tatiana Mala-Niña said when she first started reading to youths there were no ... more Photo: Melissa Phillip, MBO / Associated Press Photo: Melissa Phillip, MBO / Associated Press Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Houston library sued by anti-gay activists over Drag Queen Story Hour 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

A crew of anti-gay protesters rallied outside the federal courthouse Friday afternoon, announcing they have sued the Houston Public Library over a city-sponsored Drag Queen Story Hour which they say violates their freedom of religion.

Opponents of the story hour have also turned out to protest the library events, which began last summer in Montrose, the city’s historic gay enclave. Similar drag queen events have been hosted around the country with the aim of providing role models for children.

The lawsuit was filed Friday by a group who has vocally opposed marriage equality and joined the fight to defeat a proposed Houston ordinance that would have lifted gender restrictions on bathrooms. The group has asked a federal judge to halt the reading event, claiming they are not appropriate for all patrons.

The library director and Mayor Sylvester Turner are named as defendants, accused of being recklessly entangled in “LGBT doctrine.” The lawsuit says the storytelling sessions advertised as appropriate for patrons of all ages at the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood branch should not be funded with taxpayer dollars since the library would not host a “man-woman marriage storytelling hour.”

The group behind the lawsuit identify themselves as “Christ followers,” taxpayers and card-carrying library patrons. One of those bringing the lawsuit is Tex Christopher, who says he homeschooled his children using library books.

Another plaintiff is Chris Sevier, who has filed a number of lawsuits across the country, including one in Houston for the right to marry his laptop. If men can marry men, he has argued, why can’t he marry a computer. The plaintiffs also include an evangelical minister and a woman who says she got into a custody battle with her husband after he left her for a transgender woman.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com