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spaminator

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Hamilton library drag protest draws more supporters than detractors
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Publishing date:Nov 24, 2022 • 21 hours ago • 3 minute read
Dragstar Hexe Noire reads to kids at the Terryberry branch of Hamilton Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022.
Dragstar Hexe Noire reads to kids at the Terryberry branch of Hamilton Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022.
HAMILTON — Dressing up for story time in Hamilton was a drag for some and a celebration for others.


It’s not every day a library draws such a large crowd, or creates so much controversy, but the Hamilton Public Library hosting a Drag Storytime event Thursday found a lot of both.


If you were looking for quiet, you would not have found it at the Terryberry branch up on Hamilton Mountain.

What people did find was about two dozen protesters on one side of the parking lot, about four dozen supporters on the other, and police in the middle.

And not a lot of agreement.

Richard Love holds a Leave the Kids Alone sign outside the Terryberry branch of the Hamilton Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022 Joe Warmington/Toronto Sun
Richard Love holds a Leave the Kids Alone sign outside the Terryberry branch of the Hamilton Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022 Joe Warmington/Toronto Sun PHOTO BY JOE WARMINGTON /Toronto Sun
While the counter protesters outnumbered the protesters, inside the library were about 40 children and their parents and grandparents being read a story by a drag performer in full costume named Dragstar Hexe Noire, whose online presence warn of being an adult and of mature age to view and who has an agent for appearance bookings.


It’s unclear if the performer was paid for this appearance.



A request for comment on the event has been made to the artist and also to Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath.

This show was billed as “a supportive and inclusive story time focused on fun” where kids from “0 to four” could “hear family friendly, culturally diverse stories and songs in celebration of families with 2SLGBTQ+ parent(s) and gender variant children.”

“Shame, shame, shame,” about two dozen protesters chanted. “Leave the kids alone.”

On the other side were supporters who were equally as animated, shouting back insults and at one point breaking into a rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.



Like all demonstrations, there were hotheads on both sides as well as those who spoke eloquently on their positions.

“I just don’t think children should be subjected to this at this young age,” said Richard Love, explaining his three-year-old granddaughter regularly goes to the library and he would not want her to be exposed to something like this. “If it’s an adult thing, fine. But this is not fair to the kids.”

However, a supporter named Jeff explained that he wishes they had such events when he was young as it would have helped youth to have a safe space as they sorted out their identities.



Library spokesperson Shelley McKay said the event shows the library to be “inclusive and welcoming.”

As one supporter said in a sign “libraries are for everyone.”

That said, protesters wondered if that would include Christians reading a book about the birth of the Baby Jesus at Christmas.

The library, said McKay, does have a no religious event policy but there would be a discussion on such a request.

Whether it’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appearing on Canada’s Drag Race or the controversial transgender teacher in Oakville, many of the participants seemed to know each other from previous protests and do not see eye to eye on much.

Some used megaphones while others yelled, and neither side appeared interested in a middle ground. But in the end, both sides left peacefully, which is full credit to the dozen Hamilton Police officers on scene who did a nice job of lowering the temperature that did get heated at times.

The supporters left first and the protesters hung around for an extra half an hour.

Meanwhile, after the show, all things went quiet again at the library, where one parent who attended with his young child said he was waiting until there was no one left to face.

“It’s like the Ottawa convoy out there,” he said. “They must have nothing to do.”

But one of the protesters said trying to protect kids from being read to by drag performers before they are old enough to understand is not wasted time.

jwarmington@postmedia.com
IMG_9832-scaled-e1669316000891[1].jpg1669410476706.png
 
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Serryah

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Hamilton library drag protest draws more supporters than detractors
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Publishing date:Nov 24, 2022 • 21 hours ago • 3 minute read
Dragstar Hexe Noire reads to kids at the Terryberry branch of Hamilton Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022.
Dragstar Hexe Noire reads to kids at the Terryberry branch of Hamilton Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022.
HAMILTON — Dressing up for story time in Hamilton was a drag for some and a celebration for others.


It’s not every day a library draws such a large crowd, or creates so much controversy, but the Hamilton Public Library hosting a Drag Storytime event Thursday found a lot of both.


If you were looking for quiet, you would not have found it at the Terryberry branch up on Hamilton Mountain.

What people did find was about two dozen protesters on one side of the parking lot, about four dozen supporters on the other, and police in the middle.

And not a lot of agreement.

Richard Love holds a Leave the Kids Alone sign outside the Terryberry branch of the Hamilton Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022 Joe Warmington/Toronto Sun
Richard Love holds a Leave the Kids Alone sign outside the Terryberry branch of the Hamilton Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022 Joe Warmington/Toronto Sun PHOTO BY JOE WARMINGTON /Toronto Sun
While the counter protesters outnumbered the protesters, inside the library were about 40 children and their parents and grandparents being read a story by a drag performer in full costume named Dragstar Hexe Noire, whose online presence warn of being an adult and of mature age to view and who has an agent for appearance bookings.


It’s unclear if the performer was paid for this appearance.



A request for comment on the event has been made to the artist and also to Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath.

This show was billed as “a supportive and inclusive story time focused on fun” where kids from “0 to four” could “hear family friendly, culturally diverse stories and songs in celebration of families with 2SLGBTQ+ parent(s) and gender variant children.”

“Shame, shame, shame,” about two dozen protesters chanted. “Leave the kids alone.”

On the other side were supporters who were equally as animated, shouting back insults and at one point breaking into a rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.



Like all demonstrations, there were hotheads on both sides as well as those who spoke eloquently on their positions.

“I just don’t think children should be subjected to this at this young age,” said Richard Love, explaining his three-year-old granddaughter regularly goes to the library and he would not want her to be exposed to something like this. “If it’s an adult thing, fine. But this is not fair to the kids.”

However, a supporter named Jeff explained that he wishes they had such events when he was young as it would have helped youth to have a safe space as they sorted out their identities.



Library spokesperson Shelley McKay said the event shows the library to be “inclusive and welcoming.”

As one supporter said in a sign “libraries are for everyone.”

That said, protesters wondered if that would include Christians reading a book about the birth of the Baby Jesus at Christmas.

The library, said McKay, does have a no religious event policy but there would be a discussion on such a request.

Whether it’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appearing on Canada’s Drag Race or the controversial transgender teacher in Oakville, many of the participants seemed to know each other from previous protests and do not see eye to eye on much.

Some used megaphones while others yelled, and neither side appeared interested in a middle ground. But in the end, both sides left peacefully, which is full credit to the dozen Hamilton Police officers on scene who did a nice job of lowering the temperature that did get heated at times.

The supporters left first and the protesters hung around for an extra half an hour.

Meanwhile, after the show, all things went quiet again at the library, where one parent who attended with his young child said he was waiting until there was no one left to face.

“It’s like the Ottawa convoy out there,” he said. “They must have nothing to do.”

But one of the protesters said trying to protect kids from being read to by drag performers before they are old enough to understand is not wasted time.

jwarmington@postmedia.com
View attachment 16551View attachment 16552

Event goes from newborn to 4.

Do these protestors realize that a 4 year old is just going to think that the adult is in a costume playing dress up and that it has no more meaning than that?
 

Serryah

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For a 4 year old? Seems a stretch to me.

... you're KIDDING me, right?

At it's core, a Drag reading hour - say - is a grown up dressed up in 'funny clothes and a wig', reading stories. Probably making funny voices for characters. I mean, the pictures above show someone in a hugely gaudy flower dress with a Kermit puppet.

Are you implying to a 4 year old that isn't entertaining?

Are you implying it's not entertaining to an adult?

The 4 year old won't give a damn that the adult is in Drag, or what Drag means. It's a person in funny clothes reading them stories.
 

Serryah

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So. . . kinda like Captain Kangaroo?
Heh, sort of?

So there was a show, the Big Comfy Couch. On it was a character named Uncle Chester. Like all the other "adults" on the show, they dressed up as clowns and made programming for young kids.

1669418533205.png

He's a really nice man, his husband was a nurse at our hospital at one time - retired now. Edward Knuckles used to make chocolates and candy for a business in town, though don't know if he does it anymore or not.

Edward isn't a real clown, he just dresses like one to entertain. But apparently he shouldn't?
 

harrylee

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I agree, the kids think they look like Bozo the Clown..........pretty funny actually.

The thing is, a few years ago, if a bunch of fat ugly men dressed as women and acted like that, the women's movement would have been up in arms over it........And now it's OK. I guess times change.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Funny how the Hawgettes, four Washington Redskins fans, did it for a couple of decades, and nobody was screaming "GROOMERS!" at them.

Or Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire.

Or Dustin Hoffman In Tootsie.

Or Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo in To Wong Foo.

It was only when Fox told its marching morons to be afraid, be very afraid, that the stupid came out.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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.

Are you implying to a 4 year old that isn't entertaining?

It seems kind of pointless for a 4 year old to me.

.

Are you implying it's not entertaining to an adult?

I have been to a few. I have found them entertaining. But all adult audience.

.

The 4 year old won't give a damn that the adult is in Drag, or what Drag means. It's a person in funny clothes reading them stories.


Then why bother? Just a cheap political point from my vantage point.

To be clear, given it was not a required activity in school and all the kids were there voluntarily, I have no objection per say. I just don't see the point.
 

The_Foxer

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Funny how the Hawgettes, four Washington Redskins fans, did it for a couple of decades, and nobody was screaming "GROOMERS!" at them.

Or Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire.

Or Dustin Hoffman In Tootsie.

Or Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo in To Wong Foo.

It was only when Fox told its marching morons to be afraid, be very afraid, that the stupid came out.
None of those demanded there should be children in the audience.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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The part that perplexes me is that all these marching morons seem to believe that children can be "turned gay."

If it were possible to change someone's sexuality by persuasion, coercion, abuse, or torture, why didn't it work for all the people who persuaded, coerced, abused, or tortured their gay kids trying to turn them straight?

Or is gay just so awesome and desirable that turning straight kids gay is easy, but it's impossible to get gay kids to dive into the hell of heterosexuality?
 

Serryah

Executive Branch Member
Dec 3, 2008
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Funny how the Hawgettes, four Washington Redskins fans, did it for a couple of decades, and nobody was screaming "GROOMERS!" at them.

Or Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire.

Or Dustin Hoffman In Tootsie.

Or Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo in To Wong Foo.

It was only when Fox told its marching morons to be afraid, be very afraid, that the stupid came out.

I absolutely LOVED To Wong Foo. It was just... *chef's kiss*
 

Serryah

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Dec 3, 2008
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It seems kind of pointless for a 4 year old to me.



I have been to a few. I have found them entertaining. But all adult audience.




Then why bother? Just a cheap political point from my vantage point.

To be clear, given it was not a required activity in school and all the kids were there voluntarily, I have no objection per say. I just don't see the point.

The point is to read to kids. And maybe get them seeing that people are different. That Drag isn't a bad thing, being gay isn't a bad thing, being trans isn't a bad thing...

The simple answer; it's to entertain and read to kids.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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The point is to read to kids. And maybe get them seeing that people are different. That Drag isn't a bad thing, being gay isn't a bad thing, being trans isn't a bad thing...

The simple answer; it's to entertain and read to kids.
Now THAT'S just WRONG! The rugrats may start reading for themselves and learn all kinds of unCanadian notions!
 
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