Following the protest at drag storytime in Brisbane on 12 January, activists plan to disrupt tomorrow’s Melbourne drag queen storytime.
Facebook posts call for people to phone or email the library asking for the event’s cancellation, to sabotage the event with fake bookings or also to organise a ‘non-violent protest’.
The protests again target performer Drag Queen Annie, this time at the Werribee Plaza Library.
Previously, bigots targeted Annie over an event at Whittlesea Library. When Marijke Rancie’s Political Posting Mumma Facebook page shared a flyer for that event, it attracted hundreds of abusive comments.
Annie then described the abuse as ‘beyond upsetting’.
“I would like to remind them that I am a person.
“Everything they are saying is being said about a real person and there is nothing inherently inappropriate about being a drag queen.”
Melbourne drag queen storytime
A message currently circulating on Facebook asks people to write to and call the library asking for the cancellation of the event. It explains the poster’s reasoning.
“1) Drag Queen is a figure that confuse young children – why would a man dressed as a woman?
2) It is prematurely exposing young children to something that causes confusion and anxiety
3) The message of diversity and being yourself delivered by a Drag Queen is indirectly promoting cross-dressing, a behaviour that should not be promoted intentionally and extensively
4) The message on diversity, equality and self-confidence could be delivered by an ordinary person instead of a Drag Queen
5) Such event is not “inclusive”, it will pose an offense to many families of various cultural and religious backgrounds that do not support cross-dressing. ”
Sabotage of Melbourne drag storytime
However, the poster does not stop there. Beyond calling or writing to the library, the post goes on to suggest sabotaging the event.
“A great suggestion, encourage everyone to call and book your child/children in for this event. Don’t turn up (obviously) and the drag queen will be reading to no none!”
Threats
Comments on the posts regarding tomorrow’s events make explicit threats against the performer.
“I’ll give her a high pitched voice for the rest of her
Life 🤬🤬👊”
“I know she is a he , that’s what I mean about a high pitched voice . Filthy mongrel went near my kids , I’d make sure his Balls didn’t work again . How can anyone think this is normal 🤬🤬🤬”
The original poster goes on to encourage a ‘non-violent protest’.
“People just need to send an email, make a phone call or if they’re in the area, organize a non-violent protest.”
Brisbane protest
Johnny Valkyrie, on the performers targeted in the previous protest, posted on Facebook that a regretful participant of the Brisbane protest, alerted him that people in Melbourne were planning a protest.
“This was brought to my attention by an attendee of the protest in Brisbane who regrets what they did on Sunday, and stumbled across the organising page.”
Johnny alerted both Victorian Police and the library to the planned action.
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