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COLUMBUS — Two drag queen events for children have been cancelled in three weeks at Ohio public libraries. The events, which were designed to instruct children on how to become drag queens, were canceled after citizens, pastors, and elected officials spoke in opposition.
Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, a Republican who represents part of Licking County, sent a letter to the Ohio Library Council on Friday demanding that the Licking County Library in Newark stop a planned Pride week event. The event, featured a tutorial on applying makeup for dressing in drag and a guide to safe sex, according to the Newark Advocate.
According to Speaker Householder, “I am strong believer in the 1st amendment and fully support freedom of speech. Let me be crystal clear, this isn’t about banning books or banning thought or any other red herring argument. This is about right and wrong. This is about being good stewards of the public’s money.”
“When I was first informed our public libraries were being used to teach teenage boys how to become drag queens, I thought it was a joke,” Householder wrote. “But the joke is apparently on the taxpayers, who fund our libraries. This is a stunningly bizarre breach of the public trust. And it must stop.”
According to Aaron Baer, President of Citizens for Community Values. “Speaker Householder said what every Ohioan in their heart knows is true: drag queen training events have no place at our public libraries. We need to let children be children, and not try to sexualize them. You don’t need to be a Bible-believing Christian to recognize that “Drag Queen Story Hours” are not something our taxpayer dollars should be promoting to kids.”
Last week, The Delaware Gazette reported a scheduled class titled “Drag 101” was moved from the Delaware County Library to another location after a backlash from the community.
At least two convicted sex offenders this year have been discovered participating in Drag Queen Story Hours. The most recent in April of 2019 occurred at the Houston Public Library and involved an offender with past multiple sexual assaults against young children.
In another instance, a nine-year-old boy’s video performance in drag at a Fairfield County bar in December 2018 has led Ohio lawmakers to introduce House Bill 180 to ban such activity as “endangering children.”
The video link below is a personal testimony of a former transgender man, Walt Heyer, who discusses the dangers of sexualizing children and the danger of exposing them to transgenderism.
Editor’s Note: article updated June 13, 2019.