ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center is asking supporters to gather at its building Saturday to help people feel safe entering the facility after it said it has become the focus of conservative attacks on drag shows.
The center postponed its monthly Queer Story Hour that would have been held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, after it was the target of comments by Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and a Fox News article.
The center is asking people to gather at that time.
The center’s new Executive Director Ashley Coleman had been scheduled to read “I am Jazz” by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. It’s the story of a transgender child based on the real-life experiences of Jazz Jennings, who has become a voice for trans children.
- Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center has postponed its story hour amid what it said are inaccurate attacks from conservatives
- The claims were that the center used pandemic funding to pay for its drag queen reading program
- The center said it didn't use the money for the reading event
“Recently, LGBTQ+ youth programming at our Center and nationwide have repeatedly been the focus of propaganda and bigotry,” the center said on its Twitter and Facebook pages.
“After carefully considering our circumstances, we have postponed Saturday’s 10 a.m. story hour. This program will be rescheduled in the near future when we have pulled together all of our community partners and resources to make the event as safe as possible.”
Funding questioned, defended
Corinne Goodwin, executive director of the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project, said she plans to show up on Saturday to demonstrate support. Programming will continue starting at 11 a.m.
“You know I personally have shared amongst my network that, you know, they're looking for people locally to come out and support the community and support the center,” Goodwin said. “Hopefully we get a good crowd.”
Greene, a Georgia Republican, questioned a top Biden administration official Wednesday during a House Oversight hearing about $16,000 in pandemic funding that she said went to drag queen story time at the center, which she identified by name.
The Biden administration appropriated $135 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities, which distributed the money to humanities councils, such as the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.
In an emailed statement, spokesperson Braden Hudak said the center never used government funding for the reading program.
"We are grateful to have been the recipient of [American Rescue Plan] funding, which supported the center through an extraordinarily challenging time for both our center and for our nation," Hudak said in the email.
"Per their stated purpose, these funds were used to keep our dedicated staff employed and to keep our services both accessible and high-quality for the disenfranchised community we so proudly serve. Our story hour programming has always been, and remains, underfunded."
'People who are very afraid'
The LGBTQ center is in Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild’s district. Wild said she stands by Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and the LGBTQ+ community.
“The bigoted anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation being advanced in Harrisburg, across the nation, and in D.C., is dangerous, untrue, and harmful to people who simply want to live their lives in peace, as they should be able to do,” Wild said in an emailed statement.
“There are people in our community who are very afraid. Whether it's like the Club Q shooting, or what happened at the Pulse Nightclub, people tend to automatically go to the worst potential space when they start thinking about what could happen at these events. So there is no doubt in my mind that there will also be people that do not come because they are afraid for their personal safety.”Corinne Goodwin, executive director of the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project
“I have always supported the LGBTQ community and will continue alongside them in the fight to protect their rights.”
State Sen. Doug Mastriano has announced his intention to introduce legislation to ban drag shows on public property or where minors can see them. Lawmakers in other states also are considering similar legislation.
Goodwin said she didn’t know if there will be protesters at the center on Saturday as part of what she views as a larger attack on LGBTQ people across Pennsylvania and the country. She said she also understands if there are not more allies there to counter those protesting.
“There are people in our community who are very afraid,” Goodwin said.
“Whether it's like the Club Q shooting, or what happened at the Pulse Nightclub, people tend to automatically go to the worst potential space when they start thinking about what could happen at these events. So there is no doubt in my mind that there will also be people that do not come because they are afraid for their personal safety,” Goodwin said.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Queer Story Hour is co-sponsored by Lehigh Valley Reads, which is organized and supported in a partnership between Lehigh Valley Public Media and the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. LehighValleyNews.com is part of Lehigh Valley Public Media.
