A special Drag Queen Storytime featuring 3rd District Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath and Pickle Drag Queen was shut down by a mob of protestors at San Fernando Library Wednesday morning. West Hollywood Drag Laureate Picke was scheduled to appear at 217 N Maclay Ave, San Fernando, in celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month, but the protestors did not let Pickle enter the library building. The event was abrutly cancelled.
Supervisor Harvath and her staff were inside the library when the mob rushed Pickle who was surrounded by San Fernando Police for protection.
In response to the incident, she issued the following statement:
Today, my office was set to host a Drag Storytime at the San Fernando Library as part of LGBTQ+ History Month.
What was meant to be a celebration of love and inclusion turned into the opposite.
Protestors claimed they want to keep children safe while pounded on doors, shouted obscenities and slurs toward my staff and library staff, and used strollers to blockade moving vehicles. The hypocrisy is astounding.
These disgusting tactics and efforts to incite violence prevented Pickle and Library patrons from even entering the building.
I hope no one does to their families what they did to their neighbors today.
Libraries will not be breeding grounds for indoctrination of hate and contempt toward our fellow neighbor.
I apologize to the families who were excited about the event, but could not get in; to Pickle, a respected drag artist and West Hollywood’s Drag Laureate, who was determined that the program be held; and to the dedicated Library staff who shouldn’t have to show bravery by just showing up to work.
The protestors’ message and actions today will not win in our continued fight for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. We will continue to build communities where every person is treated with dignity and respect – and diversity is celebrated, not attacked or shamed.
I’ve enjoyed plenty of drag shows but why would you want to bring children into it? Drag has always been a form of burlesque. This drag story time trend seems really creepy and certainly not a path towards mainstream acceptance of homosexuality.
Encouraging folks to make public spectacles if themselves dies not appear to be an intelligent path towards being socially acceptable. These folks appear to be inciting their own incidents to gain notariety. Not particularly productive.
Lindsey Horvath is working overtime to get Donald Trump re-elected. Politicians like Horvath hurt our community while helping themselves in every way.
I support the drag community but I personally do not support these drag story hours for small children. It’s completely unnecessary and all it does it create division and bad press for the drag community. We can be our own worst enemy giving people who hate the LGBTQ+ community ammunition to pass all kinds of hate filled laws across the country.
When I worked at the library they spend more money to promote the drag story hour than any other program. I don’t think public money should be spent in this way. Kids deserve much better treatment.
Correct. Misplaced priorities.
Good job to the parents! No little kids should be going to story time by drag queens. Stop radical nuts! Don’t indoctrinate our children!
Raise your own kids and mind your own business.
It’s a social landscape Mr. Palmieri. Keeping one’s private activities private is helpful unless folks believe in promoting themselves while creating a public spectacle. You may undoubtedly rail against this comment as being a deterrent to free speech which only proves my point.
Your children? Why shouldn’t parents be able to take their own kids to a story hour? It’s really none of your business. Worry about your own kids.
I don’t know what went on with this particular event. What I do know is drag is a form of adult entertainment and children should not be involved.
I just read an article detailing the protests of drag story hour in two small Montana towns (https://newrepublic.com/article/173096/stop-neo-nazis-crashing-pride-month). Neither protest was successful because supporters of the events arrived and staged an impromptu dance party between the venues and the protesters. How is it that the LGBTQ community in two small conservative towns in Montana can rally to defend their right to read to children, yet somehow the LGBTQ community in Southern California, perhaps the largest in America, can’t manage to get a drag queen into a building unharmed? How is it that Pickle was “surrounded by police” but was unable… Read more »
thinking the same
I know Pickle to be a gifted reader for children and a wonderful positive role model in multiple ways.
Blame it partly on that $hiksa Bat$hitcrazy person who ran for BH City Council and has the “Freedom Rally” in Beverly Gardens Park. She was crowing about shutting it down on Facebook, and was arrested at the LAUSD headquarters a few weeks ago.
she’s having another one of her meltdowns with little pals in front of the lily pond at 3pm Saturday. How many cars full of Drag Queens waving “Jail Trump” banners can we get to drive by?
I can’t believe it, but I have no idea who you’re talking about. I know about the rally’s but haven’t heard who is behind them. Gonna google to see if I can find her.
I think I found her. Is it Shiva Bagheri?
If Shiva is her name do you want me to come and sit Shiva on her face while I’m in drag