In San Fernando Valley, California, a scheduled “Drag Queen Story Hour” was canceled after concerned parents gathered to protest, preventing a man dressed as a drag queen, who goes by the name “Pickle,” from entering the San Fernando Library.
“Pickle” is known for describing himself on his Instagram as the “Drag Laureate.”
This event, designed to introduce children to the world of drag queens through storytelling and entertainment, quickly became a focal point of controversy.
As Pickle arrived at the library in an all-pink outfit and sunglasses, he was met with a crowd of protesters who had gathered to voice their concerns.
The protesters, comprised of members from various groups, including “Leave Our Kids Alone” and “Parents’ Voices of the Glendale Unified School District,” held signs with messages such as “Our Kids, Our Consent.”
They chanted slogans like “Leave our kids alone!” to express their opposition to the event.
The demonstration ultimately led to the cancellation of the “Drag Queen Story Hour.” The left-wing media’s coverage of the incident characterized the peaceful protest as “chaos.”
Drag Queen who goes by “Pickle” DENIED entrance to Drag Queen Story Hour at San Fernando Valley Public Library by protestors pic.twitter.com/YGVNrKs9JY— 🌈 Tess T. Eccles-Brown, PhD (@TTEcclesBrown) October 27, 2023
According to the reports, this was the first time one of “Pickle’s” events had been shut down, which added to the overall significance of the incident.
Critics argue that “Pickle” has a history of pushing his agenda on children, claiming that “Drag Queen Story Hours” are entirely appropriate for young audiences.
However, evidence suggests that some of these events have featured attire and performances that may not align with a G-rated standard.
In one video posted to his Instagram account, “Pickle” can be seen reading to children while wearing extremely short and tight shorts, leaving little to the imagination.
Moreover, in a November 2022 Instagram post, “Pickle” made a bold declaration, stating his intent to further integrate drag into the education system.
“Going to start teaching drag in high schools. Going to start teaching drag in middle schools and elementary schools and advocate for this work until it’s one of the A-G educational requirements. I am going to push drag so deep into the education system that your kids won’t be able to get into college unless they know how to pull together a lewk and werk it out at a brunch,” he wrote.
The incident sparked a considerable response on social media, with many users expressing support for the parents who had protested the event.
Some users echoed the sentiment that children should be shielded from concepts that may be deemed inappropriate for their age group.
One user succinctly stated, “I’m so proud of these parents for standing up. Leave the kids alone.”
“These kinds of ungodly events need to be shut down everywhere. It’s a depraved celebration of perversity and an affront to real women, not one of ‘love and inclusion,’” another wrote.