Drag Queen Story Hours have been the target of conservative Christian ire over the past few months because they combine two things the Religious Right absolutely despises: Men in drag and books.

Even though the story times are perfectly traditional other than the person doing the reading, various groups have tried suing the libraries to shut down the (legal) events or expressed outrage over the idea that their children may think the person reading to them looks amazing.

Genevieve Peters took it to another level at the Cellar Door independent bookstore in Riverside, California. She began videotaping the event with her phone — which means she was videotaping children without their parents’ permission — and she was immediately asked to stop.

She refused to do it. Because she’s a Christian, goddammit, and the rules don’t apply to her. It led to a confrontation with her pretending to be a martyr while the drag queen storyteller was the true voice of reason.

“[Owner Linda Sherman-Nurick] has invited the public to watch this perversion with these homosexuals,” said Los Angeles resident Genevieve Peters. “I’m sorry this is what’s happening.” Some parents ask Peters to leave due to small children watching, but even after security guards step in, she refuses. “That’s what you get,” she said. “This is our nation’s children, you have no right to tell us about our children.” … Drag queen performer Jovani Morales said he’s not surprised by the comments. “I’m used to this negativity and hate,” Morales said. “They’re screaming hateful things and negative comments that kids shouldn’t be hearing to begin with.”

There’s a lot of obvious irony in Peters claiming the security guards had no right to “tell us about our children,” when the event was voluntary, the parents of those children had no problem with them being there, and Peters was the only one pushing her beliefs on everybody else.

Morales is right, though. The story time was fine. It’s the Christian who was spewing hate.

So I guess the kids learned a valuable lesson after all.

A cop eventually got Peters out of the store, but she vowed to return the next time a drag queen was invited back. Because “loving the sinner” means not letting drag queens read to kids who were having a good time.

Here’s another irony for you: In September, Peters spoke at a school board meeting in Orange County to whine about LGBTQ “indoctrination” in the district. In her rant, she screamed about how the teachers needed to focus on “reading, writing, and arithmetic” instead of promoting an alternative “lifestyle.” I guess she’s against reading, too, if the storyteller doesn’t follow biblical gender norms.

So to be clear, Peters doesn’t want LGBTQ issues brought up in public schools because it’s “indoctrination” and parents should have a say in how their children learn about that subject… but if parents choose to take their kids to an optional storytelling event at a privately owned bookstore, that’s also a problem because…? Would she be okay with drag queens busting into Sunday School with video cameras to let kids know God is a myth? I don’t see how that’s any different from what she did.

This is what Christian bigotry looks like. She wants LGBTQ people to go back in the closet because their right to exist isn’t as important as her desire to force her despicable beliefs on everyone in her community.

All the more reason to offer Drag Queen Story Hour at other bookstores and libraries in the community. All at the same time. She can’t protest all of them.

(Thanks to Brian for the link)

