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Protesters disrupt drag story time in Sherman Oaks
A group of protesters stormed into a Sherman Oaks library Saturday to disrupt a drag queen story hour.
LOS ANGELES - A group of protesters stormed into a drag queen story hour at a Sherman Oaks library over the weekend.
The Martin Pollard Branch of the Sherman Oaks Library hosted a drag queen story time event Saturday afternoon, when a group of protesters stormed into the reading room, shouting at the performers and families.
One protester claimed that families were "traumatizing" their children, while others shouted that drag was wrong, falsely stating that the children were the ones in drag.
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The library describes the popular storytime, saying it "captures the imagination and play of gender fluidity, while giving a glamorous and positive approach to queer role models."
According to a statement from Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, the protesters tried to stop others from entering the building. The Los Angeles Police Department came to escort the protesters from the library.
"Our office strongly condemns this action and the ongoing nationwide campaign to make children and adults feel afraid and
unwelcome for being who they are," Raman said in a statement. "As we see the rise of anti-drag and anti-trans bills across the country, it is critical now more than ever that we cultivate an environment that embraces drag artists, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and all forms of gender expression, identification, and disidentification. We must continue to fight for the safety of the full spectrum of identities, genders, and expressions in Los Angeles and beyond."