Life

Rochdale Council criticised for postponing drag queen reading events

By Kira Richards

12th August 2022

Rochdale Council has been accused of pandering to bullies after postponing three drag queen reading events at its libraries.

There has been continued backlash against Aida H Dee, known as “The Storytime Drag Queen”.

Dee was meant to read in Rochdale, Middleton and Heyward.

The council claimed the shows were postponed due to a risk assessment.

Other events in Bristol, Norfolk and Reading have all been disrupted by protesters.

They claim the events sexualised the children that attended.

The UK-wide initiative to have the drag queen storytime hour started seven years ago.

The scheme encouraged children to enjoy reading and celebrated diversity.

Drag Queen Story Hour UK released a statement on Twitter that stated the council “unilaterally shut down their…event, without any discussion or conversation.”

“Rochdale Borough Council have let us down, let the UK libraries community down, and have let down every person who has ever stood outside and supported our events,” they continued.

Rochdale was the birthplace of Norman Evans, who made a name for himself as Fanny Fairbottom, a gossiping housewife.

Andy Kelly, leader of Rochdale’s Liberal Democrats, told The Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Rochdale is the borough that brought us Norman Evans, arguably the original storytelling drag queen, and we should be proud of diversity and stick up for difference in our borough.”

Kelly added if residents “don’t like drag queens telling stories, don’t buy a ticket. And don’t bother buying a ticket for panto at Christmas either.”