New York Attorney General Letitia James to Host ‘Drag Story Hour’ for Children

New York’s top police official will host the event. “Drag Story Hour” Event for children in Manhattan, New York City.

Letitia James, a Democrat from New York, intends to continue with the controversial event despite accusations it encourages child sexualization with graphic themes.

“My office is proud to host a Drag Story Hour read-a-thon on Sunday, March 19 from 11AM-3PM,” James declared in an Instagram post.

This post was for families with children “to join Attorney General James, Drag storytellers, and city and state elected leaders” At the event

Drag Story Hour NYC (a nonprofit that is the main sponsor of the event) has received more than $200,000 in taxpayers funds. The organization can send drag queens into libraries and public schools to interact with children as young and as old as three years, the New York Post reported.

The Pride Center of Staten Island, Destination Tomorrow and the Brooklyn Public Library are some of the other sponsors of the event.

The Center, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in West Village, will host the reading. An Eventbrite post selling tickets to the event was sold out as of March 15.

James and several Democrat lawmakers are scheduled to attend, including city council members Crystal Hudson, Chi Ossé, Erik Bottcher, Tiffany Caban, Shekar Krishnan, and Lynn Schulman; state Assembly members Daniel O’Donnell, Deborah Glick, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, and Tony Simone; and state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal.

Eric Adams, New York City’s Democrat mayor, has been a strong supporter of drag performers for children.

Opposition is a growing threat to children’s drag programs

Drag queen story times for kids are a popular feature at public education facilities across the nation and have been performed in New York City ever since 2017.

These events have drawn backlash from protests and counterprotests in New York City.

New York City police officers had to intervene in December when a demonstration turned into a riot outside Jackson Heights library, Queens. This was where a drag queen story was being read.

Many Republican-led states are banning these events altogether.

James announced the news at the same moment Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis moved to revoke the Hyatt Regency Miami’s liquor license for exposing children to “sexually explicit content” A Christmas-themed drag show was held at the end 2022.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared that she will move to ban drag shows from taking places on state property. This, she claims, will protect children from being exposed. “sexually explicit drag shows.”