Tag: Hour

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‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ Floods UK with 70 Events, Parents Push Back Calling It a Form of Child ‘Abuse’

'Drag Queen Story Hour' Floods UK with 70 Events, Parents Push Back Calling It a Form of Child 'Abuse'

More and more men are dressing up like women in provocative clothing to read books to young children, and it’s provoking fresh fury from parents and others who disagree with the idea.

Drag Queen Story Hour has been a serious concern in the U.S. for many years, and now those same concerns are growing in the U.K. as well.

The storytime events have taken place in libraries, schools, and bookstores over the past few years, as those involved try to convince impressionable kids that the LGBTQ lifestyle is normal and exciting.

In the U.K., many opposing Drag Queen Story Hour are speaking out by urging local councils and libraries to reject the events as distasteful and inappropriate. 

Family Education Trust is encouraging parents to get involved and find out if their local library is allowing a Drag Queen Story Hour. The group even provided a letter template for them to fill out, outlining their opposition to the events. 

According to the group’s website, the drag queens have nearly 70 activities planned in 20 different areas across the U.K. this summer.

Safe Schools Alliance UK (SSAUK) is another group that opposes drag queen-related events. Teachers and parents are joining forces to speak out against the men who wear gobs of makeup, huge wigs, and vulgar outfits.

“Drag queens entering children’s environments is already an abuse of power,” the group said, adding that it’s being “pushed as the new, inclusive thing to do” so children will develop a deeper love for reading. 

SSAUK continues, “Boundaries are imposed by schools to keep children safe from themselves, from each other and from exploitative adults. Drag is a form of adult entertainment, and as such can never be appropriate for the age, developmental stage, or background of pupils.”  

In a statement, Drag Queen Story Hour UK said every performer is checked for a criminal record and receives safety training, according to GBN News.

“Performances are very similar to pantomimes, except they are explicitly literacy-focused and support inclusivity in communities and an interest in reading,” said a spokesperson for the drag queen group.

But CBN News previously reported that some drag queens in the U.S. have been exposed for having criminal records that involve sexually assaulting young children.

Some have also worked as transgender prostitutes and porn actors. 

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‘There should have been one around’: N.S. mother drives son to emerge after waiting nearly an hour for ambulance

'There should have been one around': N.S. mother drives son to emerge after waiting nearly an hour for ambulance


Hundreds celebrated and attended events across the Maritimes Friday, with many eager to get back to in-person festivities.


However, for one mother and her son, the holiday this year is one she’d rather forget.


“When he went in the bouncy castle, he went through it pretty fast, and when he came out, he said he wasn’t feeling good and was dizzy. We were going to bring him home, but when he started to walk, he was white as a ghost and passed out. Not once, but twice,” said Felicia Holden.


Holden and her 8-year-old son Jaxson were attending events on the waterfront in Pugwash, N.S., when the incident occurred.


911 was called right away, but help was slow to arrive.  


“We waited down at the waterfront for a half-hour, 40 minutes and then we took him up to the hospital ourselves. We were there another 45-minutes before the paramedic even arrived,” said Holden.


Holden says she was later told there were no ambulances in the local area. She says the closest one was more than an hour away in Pictou, N.S.


“When the paramedic came to the hospital, she did explain and said she was sorry. She said she had begged for an ambulance to stay in Wallace, so there would be at least one on the shore close by, but they wouldn’t leave them there. They sent them to Pictou,” said Holden.


In an email to CTV News, Emergency Health Services says in part “The event attended by the family was one of several held in communities across the province on Canada Day, which placed an added strain on emergency response resources provincially. EHS Operations is working very closely with its health care and government partners to find solutions to these issues, and have made a number of changes in recent months with that goal in mind.”


Despite the explanation, Holden still feels there should have been an ambulance in town during that time.


“Since there was hundreds, if not more, in Pugwash at that time because it was a big event, so there should’ve been one around anyway,” said Holden.


Holden says she’s glad a nurse happened to be in the area and was on scene to help and keep the family calm.


Meanwhile, EHS said they are deeply concerned to hear about the experience and understand how stressful these situations can be.

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Carrboro celebrates Earth Hour, looks forward to environmental events in April

Carrboro celebrates Earth Hour, looks forward to environmental events in April

The Town of Carrboro encouraged residents to go dark for an hour on Saturday to celebrate Earth Hour. 

Residents who took part were asked to turn off any electric, non-essential lights — except for ones that affect public safety — in order to support awareness about climate action on a global and local scale.

This is Carrboro’s 12th consecutive year participating in Earth Hour, a global effort organized through the World Wildlife Fund. Cities across the world join in at 8:30 p.m local time to show that collective action can bring about positive change. 

“It’s a global movement just to unite folks on all these environmental issues and how we can continue to protect Mother Earth,” Carrboro Town Council Member Barbara Foushee said.

This year’s resolution to recognize Earth Hour was brought forth by Carrboro Town Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell during a regular meeting on March 22. The matter passed unanimously.

They noted how Earth Hour has been historically practiced in individual homes but hope to see the event evolve to include more community-oriented action. 

“It’s more about how we’re going to incorporate Earth Hour going forward to make it more robust,” they said.

Beyond the event

Earth Hour is part of larger efforts from Carrboro to educate residents on sustainable and healthy living.

Carrboro Town Council member Barbara Foushee said it can oftentimes be challenging to lead an environmentally-conscious lifestyle due to financial and time constraints. 

“Everybody doesn’t have that same opportunity to focus on climate change everyday, because they’re focusing on life stuff,” Foushee said. “They’re focusing on paying the rent, having enough food, having enough money to meet those everyday, basic needs.” 

Foushee noted that she wants to focus on education and conversations surrounding climate change for individuals in these situations. 

To provide educational resources, the Town of Carrboro plans to hold several events throughout April. 

Keep Carrboro Beautiful, which is set to take place on Earth Day on April 22, will encourage individuals to pick up trash across Carrboro. 

“I think it’s important anywhere you live to make sure the place is clean and nice for the community and the citizens who live in it,” Galen Poythress, the recreation supervisor at Carrboro Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources, said.

Carrboro will also celebrate Earth Day through an event at Town Commons, where tables from environmental advocacy groups will provide education resources to attendees. In addition, there will also be food trucks serving plant-based options. 

“It’s like a show and tell, so people don’t feel alone,” Haven- O’Donnell said. “So they see ‘Oh my goodness, all of this is going on in community and I can be a part of it or I can help others be a part of it.'”

O’Donnell said they look forward to increased participation in local events like Earth Hour.

“It just helps bring the focus back to the window that is closing for climate change and climate change mitigation, and every little thing that we do collectively helps,” Foushee said.

@eliza_benbow

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com 

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