As for the content of the story time - the one I sat in on was innocuous (a tactic). They were reading standard books about being yourself and accepting others. Which of course anyone could read - drag queens don’t enhance that message in any way. The presenters I saw (one was a straight woman dressed up as a drag queen) said they could have been dressed as pirates or fairies instead - so why weren’t they? IMO, drag queens deliberately tone down their performance until their reading to kids is well established and then they will become more brazen. It doesn’t matter what they read though - males dressed in outrageous female attire should not be presented to children as fun, friendly and safe. Children’s instinctive boundaries are being undermined and they are learning that lampooning women is admirable.
Thanks for roasting the FSU on this issue. I wrote to the FSU pointing out their error re Drag Queens last October. No reply, even though I’m a member. I also leafleted outside the Nelson library last June and the librarians called the police who agreed I was doing nothing wrong. I complained to the NCC who admitted the librarians had acted illegally but they refused to apologise. More power to you!
I think that in their zeal to be absolutist about the right to free speech, the Free Speech Union have become confused about what is their purview, and what isn't. In the case of Destiny Church holding loud rallies every Sunday morning for months in Cranmer Square in Christchurch, which had residences around it, the residents weren't complaining about the content of what was spoken at the rallies, but were complaining about the ongoing loud and disruptive public nuisance factor of the rallies. The FSU mis-read that, too, and stepped in to defend Destiny Church's right to free speech, which wasn't the subject of the complaints. Likewise, with Drag Queen Story Hour in libraries, the FSU has mis-read the nature of the objections and the protest, there, too. These were moral objections to drag queens' presence amongst little children, and not about what the DQs were saying. The FSU even went so far as to say that the drag queens had a right to express their "gender identity" as a part of diversity and inclusion, but I notice that the last few communications from FSU haven't mentioned that part again. I agree to the right to free speech (but find I can't be absolutist about it, irrespective of whether that stance is right or wrong), but that right doesn't automatically come with the right to behave as we want, or be where we want, when exercising that free speech right, especially not in public venues. The FSU needs to be a bit more discerning about the prime nature of complaints before stepping in to defend free speech like a bulldozer.
Thank you for that clear and uambiguous commentary. I simply do not understand why so many people feel that every little highway and byway of their life needs to be gratified by innocent children.
It's been an interesting thought exercise for me, also a FSU member...where exactly did I stand on this? Instinctively it didn't feel like a matter of defending speech, but why not? I've seen some of the ghastlier clips from the States on twitter and it seemed the parents were there for their own reasons, when very small kids are involved they are voiceless... their kids were being exposed, I imagine they would say, to an 'inclusive' & 'fun' event; some 'marination' in some 'rainbow' people's activities via library book-reads was good for them, surely?, 'why yes!' But where is the 'how & why' in all this? Did it kick off as an off-shoot to more general Pride celebrations/events, which are mainstream now? I applaud the A'Dale protestors, exercising their rights civilly. Did the librarians there canvass public sentiment on this? Nothing said about that by the reporter. Because children are at the heart of this it MUST be thought through, canvassed & abandoned if it's mainly about drag queens feeling the need to be included, or worse, as others have suggested. The FSU? Too quick to retreat into the purity of their principles perhaps...good to read this piece thanks & the thoughtful responses.
I always thought of drag queens as adult entertainment, usually on Auckland's K Rd. I have no idea why anyone would think they'd be appropriate people to hang out with kids. What on earth were these guys reading to the children too?
What concerns me most about DQST is the conditioning of adults who are the final safeguard of children.
Nobody seems to care about the barriers to a child attempting to report sexual abuse might face when all the surrounding adults are so very accepting of every possible form of sexuality.
> To see the intelligentsia of the NZFSU somehow act like this “just can’t be”, and clutching their collective pearls on Twitter about how cerebrally sound their “serious” thinking is, was disheartening to say the least. (Not least, I admit, because I’m a paid-up member of this illustrious union and I don’t really want to believe how stupid I’ve been).
"I did not leave the Democratic Party; the Democratic Party left me." -- Ronald Reagan, 1962. The more things change...
As a paid-up member of the FSU, I agree with every word written here. As to their argument, whatever happened to the concept of "you can't shout 'fire' in a crowded theatre"? (There are always limits to free speech.) These are children we are talking about here; they are the intended audience. No rational adult would countenance taking a toddler to a drag show in the late evening so why is it OK during daylight hours?
For those who don't get it, this is much bigger than some men having fun. This is about indoctrinating children to make them available for the sexual pleasure of adults. It starts in children's libraries and accelerates at schools. The next lesson is that you can choose your sex based on your feelings of the day. This is a lie that harms children: https://lucyleader.substack.com/p/lying-to-our-children-hey-all-parents
This debate is pointless unless it is accompanied with inf on what the children were told, and what occurred during the readings. I would have no qualms about my child hearing Hairy McLary from Donaldsons dairy read by a deep-voiced person with garish make-up. So? nothing happened. If the kid asked 'was that a man dressed up? I'd just say yes. So? If there was a whole lot of self-conscious 'explanation' about sexual identity, we'd be outa there.
The Red Rag NZH refused to publish my letters to the editor regarding my utter support for the protestors who scuttled the tranny party at Avondale Library.
I am sick of this gender crap being forced upon me in my everyday life and have now Bank officers signing off with he/she/it/their crap. I refuse to converse with them, or respond to any person signing an email thus. I wish I knew where more of these 'readings/parties' were planned as I'd be in there to support a protest.
And while I'm on the topic of emails...I am also sick of having maori crap being forced up me in greetings and valedictions. Likewise of phone calls. Speak to me in English, or something else I speak such as French or Japanese, but not some worthless language that 99.9% of the world don't give a rat's fart about, never mind understand.
As for the content of the story time - the one I sat in on was innocuous (a tactic). They were reading standard books about being yourself and accepting others. Which of course anyone could read - drag queens don’t enhance that message in any way. The presenters I saw (one was a straight woman dressed up as a drag queen) said they could have been dressed as pirates or fairies instead - so why weren’t they? IMO, drag queens deliberately tone down their performance until their reading to kids is well established and then they will become more brazen. It doesn’t matter what they read though - males dressed in outrageous female attire should not be presented to children as fun, friendly and safe. Children’s instinctive boundaries are being undermined and they are learning that lampooning women is admirable.
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for roasting the FSU on this issue. I wrote to the FSU pointing out their error re Drag Queens last October. No reply, even though I’m a member. I also leafleted outside the Nelson library last June and the librarians called the police who agreed I was doing nothing wrong. I complained to the NCC who admitted the librarians had acted illegally but they refused to apologise. More power to you!
I think that in their zeal to be absolutist about the right to free speech, the Free Speech Union have become confused about what is their purview, and what isn't. In the case of Destiny Church holding loud rallies every Sunday morning for months in Cranmer Square in Christchurch, which had residences around it, the residents weren't complaining about the content of what was spoken at the rallies, but were complaining about the ongoing loud and disruptive public nuisance factor of the rallies. The FSU mis-read that, too, and stepped in to defend Destiny Church's right to free speech, which wasn't the subject of the complaints. Likewise, with Drag Queen Story Hour in libraries, the FSU has mis-read the nature of the objections and the protest, there, too. These were moral objections to drag queens' presence amongst little children, and not about what the DQs were saying. The FSU even went so far as to say that the drag queens had a right to express their "gender identity" as a part of diversity and inclusion, but I notice that the last few communications from FSU haven't mentioned that part again. I agree to the right to free speech (but find I can't be absolutist about it, irrespective of whether that stance is right or wrong), but that right doesn't automatically come with the right to behave as we want, or be where we want, when exercising that free speech right, especially not in public venues. The FSU needs to be a bit more discerning about the prime nature of complaints before stepping in to defend free speech like a bulldozer.
Hi Rachel
Thank you for that clear and uambiguous commentary. I simply do not understand why so many people feel that every little highway and byway of their life needs to be gratified by innocent children.
It's been an interesting thought exercise for me, also a FSU member...where exactly did I stand on this? Instinctively it didn't feel like a matter of defending speech, but why not? I've seen some of the ghastlier clips from the States on twitter and it seemed the parents were there for their own reasons, when very small kids are involved they are voiceless... their kids were being exposed, I imagine they would say, to an 'inclusive' & 'fun' event; some 'marination' in some 'rainbow' people's activities via library book-reads was good for them, surely?, 'why yes!' But where is the 'how & why' in all this? Did it kick off as an off-shoot to more general Pride celebrations/events, which are mainstream now? I applaud the A'Dale protestors, exercising their rights civilly. Did the librarians there canvass public sentiment on this? Nothing said about that by the reporter. Because children are at the heart of this it MUST be thought through, canvassed & abandoned if it's mainly about drag queens feeling the need to be included, or worse, as others have suggested. The FSU? Too quick to retreat into the purity of their principles perhaps...good to read this piece thanks & the thoughtful responses.
I always thought of drag queens as adult entertainment, usually on Auckland's K Rd. I have no idea why anyone would think they'd be appropriate people to hang out with kids. What on earth were these guys reading to the children too?
Good piece, I dislike all unions , full stop
So the question remains, who at the FSU has come out as a Drag Queen?
Excellent article!
What concerns me most about DQST is the conditioning of adults who are the final safeguard of children.
Nobody seems to care about the barriers to a child attempting to report sexual abuse might face when all the surrounding adults are so very accepting of every possible form of sexuality.
Yep, I agree with you, and I always err on free speech than otherwise, but this is definitely otherwise.
Nuf said. Well written Rachel.
> To see the intelligentsia of the NZFSU somehow act like this “just can’t be”, and clutching their collective pearls on Twitter about how cerebrally sound their “serious” thinking is, was disheartening to say the least. (Not least, I admit, because I’m a paid-up member of this illustrious union and I don’t really want to believe how stupid I’ve been).
"I did not leave the Democratic Party; the Democratic Party left me." -- Ronald Reagan, 1962. The more things change...
As a paid-up member of the FSU, I agree with every word written here. As to their argument, whatever happened to the concept of "you can't shout 'fire' in a crowded theatre"? (There are always limits to free speech.) These are children we are talking about here; they are the intended audience. No rational adult would countenance taking a toddler to a drag show in the late evening so why is it OK during daylight hours?
For those who don't get it, this is much bigger than some men having fun. This is about indoctrinating children to make them available for the sexual pleasure of adults. It starts in children's libraries and accelerates at schools. The next lesson is that you can choose your sex based on your feelings of the day. This is a lie that harms children: https://lucyleader.substack.com/p/lying-to-our-children-hey-all-parents
Well said Rachel. With you all the way on this!
This debate is pointless unless it is accompanied with inf on what the children were told, and what occurred during the readings. I would have no qualms about my child hearing Hairy McLary from Donaldsons dairy read by a deep-voiced person with garish make-up. So? nothing happened. If the kid asked 'was that a man dressed up? I'd just say yes. So? If there was a whole lot of self-conscious 'explanation' about sexual identity, we'd be outa there.
The Red Rag NZH refused to publish my letters to the editor regarding my utter support for the protestors who scuttled the tranny party at Avondale Library.
I am sick of this gender crap being forced upon me in my everyday life and have now Bank officers signing off with he/she/it/their crap. I refuse to converse with them, or respond to any person signing an email thus. I wish I knew where more of these 'readings/parties' were planned as I'd be in there to support a protest.
And while I'm on the topic of emails...I am also sick of having maori crap being forced up me in greetings and valedictions. Likewise of phone calls. Speak to me in English, or something else I speak such as French or Japanese, but not some worthless language that 99.9% of the world don't give a rat's fart about, never mind understand.
Yours,
Glenn J Pacey
Straight, horny, and proud of it.