As the “Drag Queen Story Hour” for children holds more events at public-funded libraries across the country, it’s beginning to experience growing pushback from communities, particularly in the South.
The reading sessions at public libraries feature men dressed as women presenting “gender fluidity”-focused stories and commentary for the express purpose of providing “positive and unabashedly queer role models” to children.
“Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores,” the organization’s websiteexplains. “DQSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. 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.”
While the Associated Press suggests the story hours have been generally accepted in big cities, including LA, Chicago, New York and New Orleans, in “smaller communities,” the gender fluidity children’s programs have “sparked protests from conservative and religious groups.”- READ MORE
[divider][/divider]The classic children’s series, “Thomas the Tank Engine,” is relaunching next week with an updated set of characters and a commitment to being more “inclusive, gender-balanced,” and “multicultural.”
A teaser trailer for the new kinder, gentler, more progressive “Thomas” dropped this week.
According to The Independent, Thomas’s “Stem Team” — the core group of anthropomorphic railroad cars that make up the show’s cast — will now be “gender balanced,” with three “male” trains and three “female” trains taking center stage, rather than the male-heavy team that held down Sir Toppem Hat’s rail yard in the original series.
For now, the trains will adhere to a decidedly regressive gender binary, but the commitment to changing Thomas for the times is long term. – READ MORE
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