Niwot bookstore's first Drag Story Hour succeeds amid protest
Feb. 25—Saturday morning marked not only the first Drag Queen Storytime event for Niwot bookstore The Wandering Jellyfish, but also a standoff between supporters and opponents of the event at a protest outside the shop.
The protest effort was organized by Boulder County Republicans newly elected Chair George Tristan, who advertised the meeting on his social media. Not all of the roughly dozen protesters were part of the political group, but many advocated for the same thing: preserving kids' innocence.
"This isn't just reading a book to a child, telling them that they can be whoever they want to be," said protester Charlie Danaher. "It's suggestive ... and it's not healthy."
Held around the world, Drag Story Hour events feature storytellers in drag reading books to kids as a way to expose them to "glamorous, positive" role models, according to the nonprofit's website. Saturday's story hour was led by Denver-based performer Stuart Sanks as Shirley Delta Blow.
Protesters were largely nonconfrontational, standing across the street from the downtown Niwot shop at 198 Second Ave., with signs reading "Kids are not adults," and "Stop confusing children." Opposite them, barricading the bookstore with rainbow umbrellas, was the Parasol Patrol — a nonprofit that shields youth from protesters at LGBTQ events.
"We want to show these kids that their whole community supports them," said co-founder Pasha Ripley. "We really want to be the grown-ups we wish we'd had."
Ripley said The Wandering Jellyfish reached out to the nonprofit after learning about the planned protest. She counted 155 volunteers by the end of Saturday morning, many of whom were also decked out in rainbow clothes and accessories.
"I'm not out here to change anybody's mind, I'm out here to protect and make kids feel comfortable," said volunteer Aaron Brooks.
The event also brought out counterprotesters with the Denver Communists, members of which said they wanted to stand in solidarity with the Parasol Patrol and promote transgender rights. The group joined the patrol in blocking protesters' signs and talking to the event's more vocal opponents.
The story hour itself saw upward of 20 kids and their parents packed inside The Wandering Jellyfish as Sanks read aloud to the group. Clad in an elaborate wig and patterned pink dress, Sanks shared several children's stories about self-acceptance and told the young crowd they don't need to change anything about themselves to be loved.
Jerilyn Patterson, co-founder of the bookstore, said the community support was "overwhelming in a good way" and expressed interest in holding more Drag Queen Storytime events in the future.
Sanks leads Drag Story Hours roughly once a month and expects more in the run-up to Pride Month in June. He said it's only within the last few years he's seen backlash to events connecting children with drag artists, calling himself an "easy target."
"The things that they're saying on the other side of the street are nothing that we're doing," he said. "I'm reading books about dresses and cupcakes and unicorns. We're taking the attention away from situations where kids are actually being mistreated and abused."
Mike, a protester with Boulder County Republicans who chose not to disclose his last name, said he hopes both sides can eventually reach some common ground.
"At least to my knowledge, there isn't anyone in this small group of people that doesn't have genuine love and care for human beings in our community," he said. "I think if we could arrive at an ideology-free environment for our kids, we wouldn't have this kind of tension."
