“Shake it Off” and train your toddler to be a Drag Queen! Let’s just say Ridgedale Library in Minnetonka, Minnesota, was a real show stopper last week during Drag Queen storytime.
We’ve heard of stories here and across the U.S. on Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) taking precedence in our local, tax-payer funded libraries. I initially thought this was a hoax and simply unfathomable until I experienced one myself.
Here in Minnesota, this fall brought a total of seventeen DQSH scheduled events at our Hennepin County Libraries, and the local mainstream media has done nothing to expose these individuals or their conduct in their locally tax-payer funded libraries.
Approximately fourteen moms showed up at the Ridgedale Library DQSH. Among them were several grandmas, two dads, and a grandpa. About twenty-two children were ranging in age from infant, toddler, and preschool into the elementary grades were there. There were several instances where I witnessed a few dads with their young ones in tow, and then quickly left when they saw the DQ for themselves.
Interestingly, the Drag Queen’s name never seems to be revealed until you show up for storytime.
The librarian shadowing the Drag Queen of the day wore a green “Black Lives Matter” t-shirt. I wonder if this is a library policy being other workers standing around were all in plain clothes. Perhaps the other workers missed the memo. But who really missed the memo was the Drag Queen himself.
We’re talking a sleeveless cut-off t-shirt resembling SpongeBob SquarePants with midriff exposed, a pink mini-skirt, rainbow ankle socks, and black spiked heels that went above six inches. The wig he wore was mermaid style crimping in the color of bright orange and makeup that was far too much under the neon lights.
“Sasha Sota,” (as we slowly learned of the name), strode in suggestively past the children, sitting down in a chair before several preschool-aged girls with his legs spread wide, exposing his nylon covered crotch in front of children sitting at eye level. We noticed that he did this often while reading nervously before the children. Honey, if you’re going to act like a lady, you first need to start with sitting like one!
We were then reminded by the BLM librarian that we are role models for our children, and that “if anyone gets upset – even grownups – you can leave.”
Gee, why would I get upset that a young man wearing a mini-skirt and his legs spread is sexually grooming children?
Before introducing “Sahsa Sota,” the librarian encouraged the children to put on their imaginary glasses before opening a book. She then read to the children a storybook that emphasized: “All Are Welcome Here.” The book also echoed rumblings of “our strength is in our diversity.” I wasn’t feeling the vibe being too disturbed myself over this man’s clothing, mannerisms, and again, that exposed nylon crotch!
Two books were then read by “Sasha Sota” to the children: Pink is For Boys by Rob Pearlman and Not All Princesses Dress in Pink by Jane Yolen to empower both boys and girls into believing they can be anything they want. I’m not sold on the slow train to transgender fluidity for preschoolers as that is clearly where these books lead, which is, obviously, sexually grooming a child based not just on the attire of the Drag Queen, but the lifestyle accompanied by so many in the drag community.
The children engaged somewhat typical of what that age would do during storytime. Girls mostly commented on obvious things like how they like the color pink or orange or wearing sparkly crowns.
The event ended with the room dancing to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” song, and all were offered a basket of colorful plastic eggs used as shakers. The event then closed with dress-up time and tables set up in the back of the room for coloring. Photo ops were also offered and encouraged by the librarian to have your child pose with “Sasha Sota.”
Just before the end of the event, a security guard came into the room. Several adults were then standing around in mini-clusters while looking in my direction. Lastly, it was “Sasha Sota” himself who approached me and thanked me for attending the event.
He quickly sat down next to me on a stool. So I inquired how he got started in drag. He told me he loved theatre, and this is merely a way for him to stay connected. I asked, “All the time?” He responded, “Oh, Yes! I’m in college studying theatre.” Taking note of how he nervously kept flipping back his wig, I inquired what he thought of children. He quickly responded, “Oh! I love children!”
I will point out that not all Drag Queens are pedophiles or convicted sex offenders. Being in theatre during my college years, I noticed that dressing in drag was viewed as an easy out where one could justify these individuals are merely ‘practicing their craft.’ What you don’t see behind the act and the makeup is very dark: self-abuse, drugs, alcohol, and a lot of sex. That IS the nature of the drag community, period.
As a result, many have marks and scars that deeply embed the soul, yet we are being forced as a society to celebrate this ‘difference’ by allowing adult men – who dress in scant clothing and moonlight in some of the most sexually charged adult entertainment industries – read to impressionable minors.
Take, for instance, Louisiana Drag Queen Dylan Pontiff, who moonlights as Santana Pilar Andrews; he said, “This is going to be the grooming of the next generation. We are trying to groom the next generation.” Pontiff then went on to say that as a drag queen, he has performed in shows for adults that he compared to an R-rated film. According to LifeSite News, “He argued that he should be able to have access to children because, as an adult, he knows how to “filter” himself and make his content PG-rated.”
To date, our own Hennepin County Library denies running any background checks on its Drag Queens. Something tells me this is all about protecting the adults – say nothing about the safety of children.
There was a moment of an awkward pause between myself and “Sasha Sota.” I could see his vulnerability, his naivety, and sensed a deep wound he was hiding. There were so many other questions I wanted to ask him, but I’m not sure I would have gotten to the truth in those few moments of our time together.
He was a lost soul. There is something so very sad and unfortunate for someone so young and starting his adult years in this way. I watched “Sasha Sota” walk out of the room, escorted by a librarian and the security guard. The security guard commented smugly to me earlier when walking by, “What a great program!” No, it was not “a great program” – not for “Sasha Sota,” not for me, not for society and certainly not for our children.