Police confront a group of people at the Avondale Library who were protesting against a drag performer's storytelling session. Photo / Supplied
OPINION
A group of people protested drag story time at Avondale Library last week.
They showed up with signs accusing queer people, particularly trans folk and drag queens, of grooming and sexualising children. Police had to intervene.
I am sick of conservatives, right-wingers and religious extremists claiming that drag queens are groomers looking to sexualise children, so let’s set the record straight.
I’ve not heard of a drag queen being convicted for assaulting, molesting, or sexually abusing children at a drag story time in New Zealand. Yet somehow, we are supposed to be afraid of them.
Grooming is a technique that involves building a relationship of trust with children so the person can manipulate and abuse them later. Grooming occurs through consistent interactions over a sustained period, not through a one-off interaction.
Between 1990 and 2022, at least 20 Christians, particularly Catholic leaders, have been convicted of indecently assaulting, molesting, or sexually abusing children. Youth group leaders to senior Fathers and Brothers are convicted paedophiles. These are just the people I could find who did not get name suppression, and who the media reported about.
What about the religious people who force religion on to children from the moment they are born? Take infant and toddler baptism, for example. Most infants and toddlers do not know the purpose of being submerged underwater. Priests get into the lives of children earlier than drag queens. They remain in the entirety of children’s life, purporting to be their guardians. Why aren’t more people protesting outside churches following all the reported abuse?
A drag queen may see a group of children in a public library once a few months. Most drag queens will come across the same children only once. Parents are always allowed at drag story times, and library staff are present. It is next-to-impossible for grooming to occur in this context.
Even if it were possible, drag queens are not interested in grooming children. Homophobes and transphobes need to pull their heads out of the gutter. Drag queens read books to children that are already available to children to read. If the protestors are so concerned, they are welcome to read the books to verify the information, but truthfully, I would be grateful if they read a book.
Conservatives assert drag performance is adult entertainment. There are levels of drag entertainment. Some are for children, and others are reserved for adults. The existence of adult drag shows does not render all drag shows inappropriate for children. You wouldn’t ban children from drinking water because liquids like alcohol exist.
Drag queens walk on eggshells even though the people who allege them of grooming children can provide no evidence. One mistake on a drag queen’s behalf and drag story time would come to an end. The same rule does not apply to religious institutions.
It is hypocritical that some conservatives continue to drag their children to church while spouting hatred at drag queens. Anti-drag protestors do not care about children’s safety. They hate queer people and use their faux concern for children as a weapon against us.
Parents should continue exposing their children to the world. Queerness predates humans, and queer folk have walked the Earth for as long as people have existed. We will continue to exist. Protect your children from becoming insular bigots and teach them diversity is to be embraced, not feared.
Shaneel Shavneel Lal (they/them) was instrumental in the bill to ban conversion therapy in New Zealand. They are a student, model and influencer.
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