A group of anti-LGBTQ+ protesters assembled outside of a New York special needs library Saturday morning to disrupt a Drag Story Hour event. The protesters held signs against “grooming” and hurled slurs at people entering and leaving the Chelsea library. While the protesters reportedly were relentless, the event was able to continue on uninterrupted.
There were counter demonstrators standing in between the anti-LGBTQ+ protests and the entrance. Yet no one was injured and the property remained unharmed. No arrests were made at the protest.
The event was organized by the non-profit New York City Drag Story Hour, at The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. A library that seeks to provide blind New Yorkers with talking books and braille.
The New York Public Library system released a statement saying “a group of protesters attempted to disrupt a Drag Story Hour for neurodiverse children.” They further explained that “the story hour went on as planned, including readings, coloring activities and a ‘dance party’ at the end. Our patrons enjoy Drag Story Hour, and the Library will continue to offer programs that support a diverse array of voices. This is particularly important at this moment when we are seeing a rise of hate and violence targeting LGBTQ+ communities.”
New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher was in attendance and shared a video from the protest to his Twitter.
Today I witnessed pure hatred and bigotry outside Drag Queen Story Hour at a public library in Chelsea.
— NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher (@ebottcher) December 17, 2022
Inside, I witnessed a loving and peaceful reading of children’s books to kids.
Warning: this video contains foul language and hate speech. pic.twitter.com/RLMWHDdSnw
“Today I witnessed pure hatred and bigotry outside Drag Queen Story Hour at a public library in Chelsea,” he tweeted. “Inside, I witnessed a loving and peaceful reading of children’s books to kids.”