PROTESTORS targeted children’s story time events across Wokingham Borough today.
Crowds picketed parents and children as they went into libraries for the fun events.
They were against the story hour event given by Aida H Dee, a drag queen who was on the last leg of her national tour, which sees her reading children’s books to families.
At around 11am, on Tuesday, August 24, Aida conducted a reading at Wokingham Library, as protestors and counter-protestors gathered outside.
Activist Piers Corbyn was among those waiting outside the library to show opposition to what protestors say is the ‘grooming’ of children, something strongly denied by Aida.
A number of people attended to show support for Aida, wearing rainbow hula garlands and carrying rainbow flags.
Cllr Sarah Kerr, executive member for climate emergency and residents’ services at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “I attended this with my 2 boys – it was brilliant.
“Kids had a blast and I kept wiping tears from my eyes due to laughing so hard.
“To then walk out and have someone shout out ‘poor kids’ at my children and then someone tell me in front of my kids that I shouldn’t be taking my kids to be groomed, is outrageous.”
She continued: “It is such a waste of tax payers money to need a police presence at a kids event like this.
“The protestors are from all over the country – Piers Corbyn was there shouting out inappropriate comments about grooming through a megaphone.
She explained that the event was just like taking her kids to the panto, “yet these protestors demonstrate why events like this and pride events need to take place.
“We still have a long way to come as a society to be truly inclusive, tolerant and empathetic to others.
“I’m glad my children got to share these messages through the story time session, but how awful that they had to walk out of the event to witness how far part of society needs to come to be truly inclusive and tolerant.”
Later that afternoon, at around 1pm, Aida attended Woodley Library for another reading event, which was similarly subject to people gathering outside, including a significant police presence.
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said that during the protest a 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, after it was reported abusive language was directed at a member of the public.
He remains in custody at this time.
Corbyn also attended the Woodley event, appearing from a car which was equipped with a roof-mounted loud-hailer.
Simon, one of those protesting at Woodley, said: “I’d like to start this with we’re not anti-gay, we’re not anti-lesbian.
“We’re not anti any sort of sexuality, unless it involves children.
“As an adult do what you want to do with other consenting adults, but do not bring children into it.
“A drag queen reading to children as young as three-years-old in the library is not acceptable behaviour.”
Among those showing their support for Aida’s story time events was executive member for children’s services at Wokingham Borough Council.
She said at the Woodley event: “We’re very saddened by the fact that some people seem to have assumed that there is something sexual or even grooming going on here.
“This is an event which is a bit like a pantomime dame coming to read to children for a fun event which emphasises that it’s okay to be slightly different.
“For people to come and protest and accuse those people who are attending these events of all sorts of awful things is ridiculous, and they’re really they should just get a grip.”
Pictured above: Piers Corbyn speaking to Thames Valley Police officers at the event in Woodley Library.
Aida H Dee’s story time events have seen protests at a number of venues, including her first show in Reading Central Library on Monday, July 25, which was interrupted by people who had gained access to derail the reading.
Two women were forcibly removed from the library by Thames Valley Police.
After that event in July, Aida said: “If there were no backlash, nobody shouting things like ‘a man can’t be a woman,’ all the shows would be is a fun hour of interactive storytelling.
“But it becomes political because these people are making it a political issue.”
Speaking to Reading Today after the event in Woodley, Aida said: “These people are not protesting, they’re a disgrace to what it means to actually protest on something that’s worth protesting.
“These people were aggressive, who were not standing up for any type of education or safety of young people.
“These people were aggressive, and so I will call them what they are aggressors, not protesters.”
In an extended statement, Aida H Dee said:
The tour has gone splendidly! We have reached over 1000 children and have worked with so many councils across the UK. Drag Queen Story Hour UK are proud of all the councils who have put on an event this summer. We started in Reading and have come full circle back to Berkshire in Wokingham before heading off to the finale in The Channel Islands! This tour has been an all around success!!
Aida has said: “I never had a role model as a child. Nobody told me H from Steps was gay. Nobody told me Alan Turing was gay. LGBTQ kids don’t get given the needed asset of a role model. I’m being the role model I wish I had when I was their age.
If these hateful people didn’t exist, then I would just be this fun, fabulous, Story Hour drag queen. Children across the UK have extremely enjoyed my Story Hour and I am so happy this tour has been such a success.
These aggressors outside libraries think I am sexualising children. It is, in fact, these aggressive people that have used the words ‘sex’ and ‘sexuality’ more than I ever have or even would in my Drag Queen Story Hours, so if anyone is sexualising children, it’s them.”
