Drag performer Story Time at St. Paul Library under social media fire

An upcoming story time at the St. Paul Library is under fire by vocal critics, who are opposed to the individual and subject matter who will be hosting the event aimed for young children. 

Pride St. Paul is putting on “Royal Storytime with Lush PanHick” on Saturday, Feb. 1, a get-together where kids are invited to bring royal attire, with story and craft for all ages. 

However, what caused a stir of outcry was that Lush PanHick is a drag performer. 

Comments exploded on the St. Paul Municipal Library’s Facebook page and other chat forums like the St. Paul Rant & Rave. 

Many loudly supported, some were ambivalent, others strongly opposed. 

“We’ve seen a lot of the negative comments pull from the usual circulation of misinformation around what drag is, and we’ve also seen these false narratives escalate into hateful rhetoric which folks don’t realize can cause a lot of unnecessary harm,” said St. Paul Pride in a response to Lakeland Connect questions. 

“We really hoped that those with questions or concerns would have felt comfortable approaching us directly, but truthfully our organization did not receive a single direct message or email with any concerns or feedback, only negative comments on Facebook event pages which are rarely productive platforms to engage in constructive conversation.” 

Increasing precense

St. Paul Pride has been looking to increase their presence in the community following the success of their annual Pride Day events, and their participation in the Rodeo Parade. 

The local Pride organization said that Drag Storytimes are popular events in other communities, and can be platforms to showcase diversity and visibility for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in a fun way. 

She says it offers families an engaging way to learn about things like self expression, empathy, and acceptance from different identities and perspectives that they may not typically see in their usual surroundings.

“This is not because queer folks don’t exist in our community, but rather they may feel unsafe or unsupported living authentically in public.  Through unique storytimes like these, people can see that it’s okay to be themselves and it’s okay to be different. Events like this help reduce prejudice by showing that differences are something that can be celebrated rather than feared.” 

But in many ways the event’s reception has not decreased polarization in the lead-up. 

Lush Panhick’s social media channels show a variety of adult aged performances, with dancing and twerking in bars, leading to concern about whether this was an age appropriate for young children. 

Others questioned Town officials about the event happening at a municipal building. 

Mayor Maureen Miller said that council does not deal with programming at Town funded entities like the arena, the pool, the library. She says residents have been asking council to intervene. 

“They want the council to make the stand or be the final call…it wouldn’t be us that makes that final decision,” Miller told Lakeland Connect. 

“As a person, Maureen Miller, I am in support of this program, and I’m in support of it because our library really is an open space for all, and all should feel welcome to be in the library.” 

She adds that the conversations that have sprung up about the event is “gut-wrenchingly disappointing.”

“The polarization within the community, the lack of understanding for compromised individuals overall, the hate I’ve witnessed, the threats I’ve witnessed, is gut-wrenchingly disappointing.

“I do hope that there is some common ground. I’ve had conversations with individuals, and there is common ground. I do hope that people just take a step back and decide that if it isn’t a program that they want to participate in, just to not go to the library that day and allow those who do want to participate to freely go and enjoy the performance.” 

Age appropriate?

As far as the content of the show goes, they respond to the question of whether the performer is age appropriate by saying that Lush PanHick (Johnathan) comes well-reviewed and is a “tremendous performer” who is choosing to volunteer their time to support this initiative. 

“Drag is a multifaceted art form that spans a wide range of performances and although some of Johnathan’s work may be in adult venues, this doesn’t define who he is or take away from the positive impact he has in a family-friendly setting,” they said. 

“Johnathan has done some incredible work for his community and is well known for being that amazing person he is. He is a talented performer who brings creativity, joy and inclusion to every audience and we’re thrilled to have him share his gift with us at our Story Time event.”

St. Paul Pride added that many people have been supportive and affirmed their anticipation of the event.

In fact, Pride didn’t know there was such a stir until they saw comments online.

They plan on continuing to plan events in the months to follow.

“We are grateful for the overwhelming support we have received with regards to this event. We have had youth, parents, elderly folks, governing officials and people who we’ve never met reach out to us locally and from all across the province.  

“While we acknowledge the opposing viewpoints, the positive response highlights the importance of the trailblazing work we are doing and the importance of creating these spaces, especially in rural communities like ours.  These events help encourage understanding, acceptance, examining biases and increasing empathy – values that are vital for building stronger, more compassionate communities.”