From “How Americans Can Stand Against Extremism” (The New York Times, Dec. 24): “Drag queen story events are similar to other public readings for children, except that readers dress in a highly stylized and gender-fluid manner and often read books that focus on acceptance and tolerance.” A recent drag queen event consisted of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “The Little Blue Truck’s Christmas” and a few other stories to children … (and then) led the audience in a round of “Jingle Bells.”
Twice last month, The Columbian published histrionic letters implying children were exposed to traumatic events in local library story hours (which, by the way, happened over three years ago).
Carrie Ross claimed, “I’ve seen children as young as 2 and 3 subjected to grown men in Speedos gyrating all under the guise of ‘love and inclusion’ of the LGBTQ agenda.” (“Days when evil is called good,” Our Readers’ Views, Dec. 20).
That is not happening in our libraries. To make a connection between a library story hour and such perversion is deeply disturbing. I wonder where Ross was to witness such an event. It certainly was not in one of our local libraries, which are the crown jewels of our county.
Yet a second letter of fear, without facts, appeared in The Columbian anxious about young children exposed to men in thongs, women in bikinis and satanic attire — again without foundation, linking it to library story hours (“Remember program is for children,” Our Readers’ Views, Dec. 21).
It’s well past time to take a breath and call these liars out as destructive forces in our society.
