Public libraries say OK to drag queen story hour, reject Kirk Cameron book reading
More than 50 public libraries have not accepted an offer for a Kirk Cameron story hour featuring his new children’s book, even though they allow drag queen story hours, according to his publisher.
In an interview with Fox News, Brave Books said over 50 public libraries have either not responded to their request for a Cameron story hour or declined.
The publisher cited the example of Rochambeau Public Library of Providence, Rhode Island, which declined the story hour offer. The library described itself as a “very queer-friendly library.”
Get Our Latest News for FREE
“You can fill out the form to reserve space, to run the program in our space — but we won’t run your program,” said a representative of the library, according to Brave Books. “Our messaging does not align.”
Rochambeau offers a "Queer Umbrella" program for youth, according to Fox News, which describes itself as a “club and safe space where teens can learn, discuss and connect over queer history, art, community resources, and more.”
Another example cited by Brave Books was City Heights/Weingart Branch Library of San Diego, California, which had a representative reportedly tell the publisher that given “how diverse our community is, I don’t know how many people you would get.”
For his part, Cameron told Fox News Digital that he believed the rejections were “proof that more than ever, we are getting destroyed in the battle for the hearts and minds of our children.”
“Publicly funded libraries are green-lighting ‘gender marker and name change clinics’ while denying a story time that would involve the reading of a book that teaches biblical wisdom. How much more clear can it get?” he posited.
Last week, Cameron released a children’s book titled As You Grow, which centers on a character known as Sky Tree that grows to become a protector of Freedom Island.
“Starting from a seed, Sky Tree has grown into a massive tree through the trials and triumphs along the way,” explained the book’s Amazon description.
“As you track the gentle giant's growth, read the words of wisdom that guided this tree, and learn about love, joy, and gentleness with your family through the BRAVE challenge at the end of the book.”
Public library story hours featuring drag queen performers reading books to children have garnered much controversy in recent years, with some seeing it as predatory behavior to normalize drag, grooming and pedophilia. In Texas, a drag performer at a public library was also a registered sex offender (see here and here).
According to a Rasmussen Reports poll from last month, 60% of respondents believed that drag queen story hours were not appropriate, versus 29% who consider them appropriate for children.
Additionally, according to Rasmussen, 71% of respondents believed that drag queen story hours should not receive taxpayer funding, versus 14% who said that it should get public funding.
