EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - In total, approximately 275 children and their guardians attended Drag Queen Story Hour in Evansville.
The library says over 150 children and their guardians were turned away due to capacity.
In anticipation of a large turnout, EVPL North Park had several activities, books, and crafts ready in the Children’s Tower for before and after the program and for those who were not able to attend the event.
Florintine Dawn, the Drag Queen performer, read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and Goodnight Moon. Children also danced to “The Hokey Pokey,” “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” and “Freeze Dance.”
“I consider this as a service to the community. Reading to kids means a lot to everyone. Education is knowledge. The public library has definitely done a fantastic job with giving out knowledge to everyone and I just feel like I could be helping that,” said Dawn.
Bot not everybody in attendance felt the same way.
“A lot of people think that we hate them and I’ve been saying that, God loves you, and God bless you. I just think it was really something that was harmful," said protester Rex Charles.
Despite the opposition, Evansville Public Library CEO Cyndee Landrum stood strongly by the library’s decision to host the event.
“I think it is a catalyst for a broader conversation in our community, about our community, and where we want to see our community. That conversation isn’t just one-sided. I think it’s a dynamic conversation that includes all points of view," said Landrum.
Officials say there are no additional Drag Queen Story Hour events planned at EVPL. However, EVPL will be assessing feedback to determine whether or not to have similar events in the future.
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