On March 19, 2023—a Sunday, no less—New York Attorney General Letitia James hosted a Drag Story Hour Read-a-Thon at an LGBT community center in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.
According to Fox News, “several other elected officials and LGBTQ advocacy groups” were present at the Read-a-Thon. Following the event, a press release from the Attorney General’s office stated that “nearly 200 other guests, including families, ‘enjoyed four back-to-back Story Hours.’” The press release further stated that “the event was intended ‘to condemn hate and combat rampant disinformation’ after ‘recent months have seen a rise in homophobic protests and fearmongering surrounding Drag Story Hour.’” The New York Post published photos of the event that can only be described as disturbing.
The Post reported that the Drag Story Hour Read-a-Thon attracted protesters and counter-protesters. Police stated that “an ‘anti-drag story protester [was] arrested for assaulting a pro-drag agitator.’” One protester who identified himself as a gay conservative asserted that he was “‘against kids being exposed to sexually explicit material, to grown men in dresses…trying to indoctrinate them into trangenderism.’” New York City Mayor Eric Adams thanked Attorney General James for hosting the event. Far-left, openly homosexual State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan), who brings his daughters to Drag Story Hour, asserted that “‘those who are attempting to use Drag Queen Story Hour to stir up controversy and vitriol directed at the LGBTQ community and specifically drag artists should be ashamed of themselves.’”
In a statement, Attorney General James said, “‘The recent rise in anti-LGBTQ+ protests, rhetoric, and policies has left New Yorkers—myself included—devastated and disappointed. But I know better than anyone that when the choice is between love and hate, between joy and venom, New Yorkers will always choose love, and New Yorkers will always choose joy. I am proud to have been joined by my colleagues in advocacy and government today in celebration of the love, joy, and family fun that Drag Story Hour brings to our communities. Hate has no home in New York, and I will always fight to ensure our LGBTQ+ siblings’ rights are upheld and defended.’”
At New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, we lament the fact that so many New York elected officials celebrate homosexual and transgendered behavior, promote that behavior to children, and dismiss any disagreement by calling it “hatred.” We are dismayed that any parents anywhere in the state of New York would willingly bring their children to an event like this one. Furthermore, we are deeply disappointed by the violence and the unruly behavior exhibited by some of the individuals who stood in opposition to Drag Story Hour.
As Christians, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). The truth is that Drag Story Hour is morally objectionable because it calls evil good (Isaiah 5:20) and because it has the potential to lead young people into sin (Matthew 18:6). Christians should be motivated by the love of Christ to speak out against Drag Story Hour. We love children and wish to protect them. Also, we love persons who are ensnared by homosexuality and transgenderism; we want them to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. If Christians speak the truth in love and refuse to allow bitterness to take root in our hearts, our words and actions will bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.