Council Members Jimmy Van Bramer and Daniel Dromm hosted Drag Queen Hour in Jackson Heights Thursday (Photo: Courtesy of Van Bramer’s office)
July 26, 2019 By Christian Murray
Two elected officials hosted a special Drag Queen Story Hour at the Jackson Heights library Thursday to celebrate the record funding increase for public libraries and the new funds allocated for story hour.
Council Members Jimmy Van Bramer and Daniel Dromm joined New York City-based drag queen Angel Elektra at the 35-51 81st Street library to highlight the City’s 2020 budget that includes nearly $564 million for public libraries, including a $25,000 allocation for Drag Queen Story Hour. Van Bramer and Dromm allocated $5,000 each for story hours in their respective districts.
Drag Queen Story Hour is targeted for children between ages 3 and 8. The program involves a drag queen trained by children’s librarians who reads picture books, sings songs, and leads children in craft activity. The program began in San Francisco in 2015 and spread to New York City in 2016.
“The Queens Public Library is a vital democratic institution where everyone is welcome to learn and explore,” Van Bramer, chair of the Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee, said in a statement. “The funding we secured in this year’s budget will keep our public libraries’ doors open and enable them to expand their diverse programming to reach even more people.”
Van Bramer added, “I am especially proud to support Drag Queens Story Hour, a wonderfully imaginative and inclusive program for kids that encourages acceptance and a love of reading. Drag Queen Story Hour provides all kids with a space to be themselves and to see queer role models—something I desperately needed as a kid.”
Van Bramer and Dromm are both openly gay.
“Libraries are a vital part of every New York City neighborhood,” Dromm said. “I am particularly glad that Drag Queen Story Hour has found a home at city libraries, including the Queens Public Library. Drag Queen Story Hour is a fun and fabulous way of encouraging children to read. The flamboyancy and theatrics of Drag Queen Story Hour truly captures children’s attention and helps facilitate learning.”
The funding will help expand the program, including its bilingual drag queen story hour and those for children with autism and special needs.
“We’re excited to be able to bring more Drag Queens Story Hour programming to Queens Public Library branches this year,” said Rachel Aimee, executive director of the NYC Chapter of Drag Queen Story Hour.
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23 Comments
I would pull my kid out of school if i still lived there
Not only did se save our city after 9/11, now she’s saving our children!
Absolutely sick! These perverts shouldn’t be anywhere near our children!
Oh sorry, forgot what you were talking about
Cant wait for JVB to be gone. Anyone who puts their children in the presence of these men are asking for trouble. Children dont identify with sexuality until they are older than 3! Politicians are destroying society’s future generations.
It’s crazy how comments as logical as these get so many dislikes, it’s like liberals agree with kids being forced to be in the same room as these weird creatures
There are a lot of sick people out there. The number of dislikes just shows you cant trust anyone with your kids.
Where does it say the kids are forced to go? Will the parents face some kind of penalty for not bringing their kids there if they don’t want to?
Not only was he our best mayor, but he’s reading to children now!
That money could be put for better use ,
For example keeping the streets or parks cleaner and safer for the children .
Using a drag queen for 3-8 year old children is age- inappropriate. Use them with older children and spend the money on younger kids for people who are job seekers
Drag Queen Story Hour provides all kids with a space to be themselves and to see queer role models—something I desperately needed as a kid.”
What’s a matter Jimmy, Charles Nelson Reilly on the Match Game and Paul Lynne in the center square wasn’t enough for you?
Hope they saved some money for background checks.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/second-drag-queen-story-hour-library-reader-exposed-as-convicted-child-sex-offender
It says on that site that they have an alt-right agenda. That story is fake and you were gullible enough to believe it.
Actually the story ran on many news outlets. Google it.
Maybe don’t quote extremely biased sources as justifying your personal anti-LGBTQ agenda. And for the record my son loves story hour, so I celebrate it’s expansion and increased funding.
Who Produces LifeSiteNews?
The service was originally started by Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), a Canadian national pro-life organization headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Campaign Life Coalition, founded in 1978, was one of the first pro-life organizations to emphasize the international dimension of attacks on life and family. Along with a few other groups it pioneered pro-life lobbying at United Nations conferences. CLC president, Jim Hughes, is currently also vice-president of the International Right to Life Federation.
That’s all very interesting, now dispute the facts in the article regarding the sex offenders?
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Jackson Heights has clowns in office
Wonderful, thank you JVB for supporting this amazing program.
Daniel Dromm comes out once a year like a ground hog.
Dromm looks like a ground hog now. Another waste of money!
Sick