Last summer Cardiff Central Library hosted the Drag Queen Story Hour. The Telegraph reports that Cardiff Central Library was the scene of protest last year when the city council organized the Drag Queen Story Hour Tour, an hour-long tour that drew backlash from some campaigners who were concerned that they were «sexualizing children».
< p>The Telegraph may report that funding from a delegated Welsh Labor administration was used to pay for the controversial event.
Top-down funding came from its £7 million Summer Of Fun scheme, which was intended to promote the «social, emotional, mental and physical well-being» of children and young people in the summer of 2022.
The Welsh Government stipulated that funding should be allocated based on certain conditions, including prioritizing «marginalized groups», with a note to applicants adding: «We want to celebrate diversity and move towards eliminating inequality in all its forms.»
The guidelines also stated that Summer of Fun should include «age-appropriate activities».
Cardiff Works Council has allocated £170,000 of Summer of Fun funds to local funding, according to council documentaries, and used an undisclosed amount to pay for the Drag Queen Story Hour event held at Cardiff Central Library in August 2022.
Hosted by Aida H. Dee, artist Saba Samuel's drag persona, the event was booked due to concerns raised by parents elsewhere in the UK that the Drag Queen Story Hour was «grossly inappropriate».
A flyer promoting the controversial transvestite reading event. Photo: Twitter. indoctrination» for children who may have experienced gender confusion and sent letters of protest against Drag Queen Story Hour Tour events around the country.
The Cardiff event took place and demonstrators outside the library protested what they claimed was the «sexualization» of children.
Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government declined to disclose how much was spent on the controversial Drag. Story Hour event citing trade secrets.
The Board confirmed to The Telegraph that «the money used was part of an existing grant to support children's activities through the Welsh Government.»
The use of public funding drew criticism from Laura Ann Jones, the Welsh Tory shadow minister for education, who told The Telegraph: “It is extremely worrying that taxpayer money is being used in this way.”
“This is very important. It is completely unnecessary and inappropriate for young children to participate in this kind of activity, not to mention that it is funded by Welsh Labor.
«Taxpayers and children deserve much more than the money spent on indoctrination through a highly sexualized event under the guise of promoting mental health and wellness.»
Samuel said during Story Hour that the event contained no material of a sexual nature, adding that he was «depressed» that «hating people» were trying to stop him.
Aida H Dee, Saba Samuel's stage name, said it was «depressing» that «hateful people» were trying to stop it. Credit: Instagram
Samuel's follow-up event at the Tate Britain sparked protests demanding a police cordon, and an invitation to lecture 11-year-olds at Lewis School in Pengam, 17 miles north of Cardiff, about the practice and «weirdness» drew criticism from side of the campaigners.
Details on the use of public funds in Cardiff emerged after The Telegraph reported that gender pronouns should be removed from official documentation by the Arts Council of Wales. intends to remove male and female pronouns such as «he/him» and «she/her» from official documentation.
Instead of gender pronouns, the Arts Council will use gender-neutral pronouns «they/them».
This policy was launched after the Welsh government rolled out LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales, which committed to ensuring that public authorities are “gender-sensitive.”
Samuel said: “Transvestite History Hour is a family theatrical experience. If the Welsh Conservatives find me sexy dressed up in an Abba-style loose rainbow sequin jumpsuit and a big funny wig, that's more of their interest than my own.
“In fact, if conservatives come forward and say they find Aida, the transvestite from fairy tales, sexy, then fair game. But please don't come to my family show «Drag Queen Story Hour» when you claim you find me sexy because that would be just weird. Stop sexualizing me please. Thank you.”
Feedback from families is 'very positive'
A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: 'Last year the council organized a number of activities and activities as part of their Summer Of Fun program to keep the kids entertained. and young people in the city following the challenges of the pandemic.
“As a diverse and inclusive capital and as part of the program, we were delighted to welcome Transvestite History Hour to our Central Library Center. .
“This performance was paid for by tickets, and all the parents present knew about the nature of the event. The session was very entertaining and age appropriate, using stories to promote tolerance and celebrate diversity. The feedback we received from the families was very positive.”
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