LGBTQ story hour in Leander elicits protest, support

Crowd of about 200 gathers outside library event organized by a Leander church

Claire Osborn
cosborn@statesman.com

A crowd of about 200 supporters and protesters, some yelling over loudspeakers and others banging drums, gathered Saturday afternoon outside the Leander Public Library, where a "Family Pride Festival and Story Time" organized for LGBTQ families took place.

Some like Eric Love, came from as far away as Atlanta to participate in the first protest that police could remember in 16 years in Leander. "Repent and be born again," Love yelled through a loudspeaker, directing his comments at supporters of the private event that took place inside a library meeting room.

Naomi Wilson of Austin, who spent some of her time arguing with protesters, said she thought the story time gathering "was amazing." Wilson said she came out to protect children attending it from protesters.

Formerly billed as "Drag Queen Story Time," the event was recast late this week. Ryan Hart, pastor of the Church of the Open Cathedral in Leander, wrote on the event's Facebook page that the drag queen who had been scheduled to read to children was unable to attend because of "an unavoidable work commitment."

The church stepped in to sponsor the event after the city of Leander, which initially was scheduled to host the story time gathering, canceled it last month following protests by the public and concerns about the lack of a screening process for the readers involved. City spokesman Michael Neu said there was a report of a registered sex offender reading to children during a similar drag queen event at a Houston library.

RELATED: Update: Church to host Drag Queen Story Hour at Leander library

On Saturday, supporters of the event and those protesting it were separated by small gates. Protesters displayed various signs, including one that read, "Open Cathedral Stop Brainwashing Our Children."

Kelly Henders of Leander said the story time gathering was child abuse because it involved talking to young children about sex and "putting things in their minds."

Tracy Shannon, director of the Houston Chapter of MassResistance — a group that opposes Drag Queen Story Hour, an organization headquartered in New York City — also was at the Leander protest. "Our objection isn't about reading books to children," she said, "but promoting drag queen culture."

Supporters also offered up messages, including a sign that read, "My life is not a controversy, not a tragedy, filled with love and joy."

Miss Kitty Litter ATX, an Austin drag queen who's also known as David Richardson, was at the library Saturday and said the story time wasn't about sexualizing children or indoctrinating them into a lifestyle. Instead, he said, the event sought to educate them "about inclusivity and kindness." He added that he had received death threats after reading at a Drag Queen Story Hour in Austin last week.

Christi Allen, who brought her three children to attend the story hour, said she was surprised to see so much hate being expressed at the protest.

"It's very upsetting; I cried as I walked up here," she said.

Looking at the protesters, Allen's 11-year-old daughter Chloe said, "They ought to go home and take naps because they are very grumpy people."

The media was not allowed into the story time event, but after it ended Hart spoke outside the library with Christine Sederquist, a Leander City Council member who read one of the books at the event.

"Hearing the kids giggle and laugh and love the stories made every single moment worth it," Hart said.

The books read by Sederquist and two mothers were "Love Makes a Family" by Sophie Beer; "Red: A Crayon’s Story" by Michael Hall; and "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell and Henry Cole. Hart has previously said about 150 people planned to attend the event.

Sederquist said it was unfortunate a demonstration took place outside the library, but said inside during story time "it has been all about community and just supporting each other."