Drag queen storytime event at Montreal library ‘about respect,’ not controversy – Montreal

The planned reading time at the Dorval library is causing some controversy.

Montreal drag queen Barbada is scheduled to read to children in French and English on June 11.

The performer read to preschoolers on June 6 and is now being invited back.

“The stories I tell are all about inclusion. About the difference,” she told Global News.

Dorval Library posted the event on its Facebook and received a lot of response, mostly positive.

But there are also detractors who don’t think a drag queen should read in front of children.

Barbados disagree.

“Every kid who comes to story time comes home feeling ‘Okay, I get what a drag queen is, I get it different but it’s definitely not dangerous and we can have a great time. with the drag queen,'” she said.

Dorval Mayor Marc Doret supports the initiative to have Barbada read to the kids, but he said a lot of negative comments online forced him to contact police directly.

“We don’t want anyone to come here to protest and give their opinion,” he said.

June is Pride month and the West Island LGBTQ2+ Center is expecting everyone to open up.

“If you’re going to ask someone to tell a story to elementary school kids, preschoolers, people are better than a drag queen because it’s usually an older-than-life character,” said David Hawkins, director executive director of the West Island LGBTQ2+ Center told Global News.

“It’s not about liking or disliking… It’s all about respect,” Barbada said.

Both scheduled performances, in French and English, were already filled to capacity.