SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: King County Library System uses tax dollars for Drag Queen Story Time

Sep 10, 2018, 1:48 PM

binders, Renton Library, Wi-Fi...

The Renton Library is one of the places offering free Wi-Fi from the parking lot. (Courtesy of Renton Historical Museum)

(Courtesy of Renton Historical Museum)

I’m a King County taxpayer. I send a healthy amount of money every single year to the King County treasury through my property taxes. And a big chunk of that money goes to the King County Library System.

RELATED: King County Library System wastes $9,000 on bike repair stations

I saw an event Monday morning at the Renton Library, part of the King County Library System. It’s a “fun-filled hour of stories, songs, crafts, snacks, and photos” sponsored by Friends of the Renton Libraries. You take your kids there for story time suitable for infants, pre-schoolers, and toddlers. It sounds wonderful for parents who want to get out of the house on a Monday morning.

Oh, there’s one other thing I’ve got to mention — the name of the event is “Drag Queen Story Time.” A well-known local drag queen, Sparkle Leigh, was the host of the event. Dressed up in long green hair and makeup,  he — a biological male — read the stories to kids as a drag queen and then took photos with the kids.

I went on YouTube to see if I could find any videos of Sparkle Leigh. In one video, he is playing Mario Cart with a friend while smoking a joint and using a bunch of expletives, such as “Bring it, m-f-er!”

Can anyone in their right mind explain to me how our taxpayers are paying for Drag Queen Story Time at the Renton Library?

We called the Renton Library for a statement, but they said they were too busy because over 100 people showed up for Drag Queen Story Time.

That was honest to goodness one of the most depressing things I’ve ever heard in my life.

They couldn’t talk because they were too jam-packed with Drag Queen Story Time at the Renton Library. These are 100 very sick parents who took their children to this event.

If you want to be a drag queen, I couldn’t care less. But for the King County Library System to decide that it’s somehow appropriate to indoctrinate children — because indoctrination is exactly what this is. We’ve got to normalize this for the infants, the toddlers, the pre-schoolers.

I watched a great video this weekend about how all of these adult social issues are being fought through our kids. And it’s not healthy, it’s not emotionally healthy. Have you seen the suicide rates for transgender kids? They’re high. And there are two possible approaches for that. One is to have drag queens telling our kids stories when they’re 2 years old, and then our kid will decide to be one. Or maybe we shouldn’t just say that gender is fluid. Maybe we shouldn’t pander and encourage kids to believe there is no such thing as biological gender diversity. We’re not serving our kids at all by saying there’s no dividing line and no differences between boys and girls.

Once you’re 18, do whatever the heck you want. But to have our government, our public libraries, take this issue and decide to put it out there for children is straight-up propaganda. And, forgetting about the drag queen part, what kind of role model is this person who smokes weed and uses swear words on social media? I’m not sure that’s the best person to read stories to toddlers. Why do my tax dollars have to pay for this?

A damaged car sits beside a wall bearing numerous impact marks near the site of a strike in Lamerd,...

Associated Press

New US missile appears to have killed Iranian civilians far from its blast site, expert report says

It has been touted by the manufacturer as the ballistic missile of the future: lethal, long-range, and pinpoint. Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile has the U.S. military investing billions to update its arsenal. But a close look at what is believed to be its first use in combat — on the first day of the […]

40 minutes ago

Associated Press

United Arab Emirates says it has intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates’ air force intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters Monday, the Defense Ministry said, an attack that comes after the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire on the weekend, the first action in a month. In a short statement, the Defense Ministry said it “dealt […]

4 hours ago

Associated Press

Asian shares, US futures retreat and oil prices surge after US strike on Iranian rocket launchers

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly lower in Asia and U.S. futures also declined Monday on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve may raise interest rates soon. Oil prices surged about 3% after U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz, marking their first military action in a month. The Trump administration […]

4 hours ago

A drone view shows a major section of Pasang Lhamu highway washed away along swollen Trishuli river...

Associated Press

Rescue efforts intensify after Nepal-Tibet flooding as deaths climb past 900

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — The death toll in the catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet climbed past 900 Monday with more than 4,700 missing. Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, Nepal’s army spokesman, said authorities intensified their rescue efforts in the disaster zones. “We are working in search and rescue of the stranded people from hills, […]

6 hours ago

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville,...

Associated Press

Bessent heads to the G20 to rally allies on Iran as tariffs strain ties

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wants to rally the world’s largest economies this week at a time when the United States has disrupted the international order with aggressive tariffs on major allies and an unpopular war on Iran is keeping gas prices high for consumers. As Bessent hosts meetings of the Group […]

6 hours ago

Nursing student Maribel Gonzalez Guzman checks a patient manikin in the simulation lab at Forsyth T...

Associated Press

As Pell grants expand, students see openings to afford short-term job training

Sydney Webb scrimped and saved to pay for an eight-week certified nursing assistant program at a North Carolina community college. On top of the $255 registration fee, the 26-year-old bartender also had to pay for a background check, scrubs, a stethoscope, special shoes and a state certification exam — all while working half as much […]

7 hours ago

Dori: King County Library System uses tax dollars for Drag Queen Story Time