ALLENTOWN, Pa. — More than 70 people defied below-freezing temperatures Saturday to show support for Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in the wake of what it called "propaganda" and "bigotry" directed at it by a Republican politician and a Fox News report.
No counter-protesters were there.
- Supporters gathered at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center Saturday after a Republican Congresswoman claimed it used federal funding for its queer story hour events
- No counterprotesters were there
- The center said no federal funds were used on that program
Bradbury-Sullivan said it decided to postpone its Queer Story Hour scheduled for Saturday morning because it was concerned about the safety of the youth who take part in the monthly event and asked for a show of support.
Drag shows recently have drawn the ire of conservatives across the country, who have introduced legislation to ban them or restrict the age limit to attend them.
A Fox News article this week said Pennsylvania paid $16,000 in pandemic funding to groups that promote queer story hours for children, detailing the scheduled queer and drag events.
U.S. Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, questioned a top Biden administration official the next day during a House Oversight hearing about the money she said went to drag queen story time at the center, which she identified by name.
Bradley-Sullivan spokesman Braden Hudak denied it used government funding for the reading program.
'No matter what the temperature'
The Rev. Beth Goudy of the Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley said the decision to participate Saturday's event came after wanting to show solidarity with the LGBTQ community and take a stand against the "toxic discourse" currently happening in politics.
"I'm braving the cold today because, again, minority community organizations like the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center are doing really important and vital work and protecting minority communities," Goudy said.
"That's why it's important we're out here, no matter what the temperature is."
"I'm braving the cold today because again minority community organizations like the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center are doing really important and vital work and protecting minority communities. That's why it's important we're out here no matter what the temperature is."Rev. Beth Goudy, Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley
Mindy Freeman said she drove to the Bradbury-Sullivan Center from Central Bucks County to show her support for the organization.
Freeman said her daughter is a junior at Central Bucks East High School and contends there is a lot of discrimination in the school district. The school board recently passed policies that ban Pride flags in classrooms and a quote from Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's Noble Prize speech was forced temporarily to be removed from a library window.
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating allegations of discrimination against LGBTQ students.
Freeman brought with her the children's book "I am Jazz" by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. It's about the real-life experiences of Jazz Jennings, a transgender child.
Bradbury-Sullivan Executive Director Ashley Coleman had planned to read the book during the story hour.
"This is a book that supports a transgender girl, Jazz Jennings, who has shown that... when someone who is supported for who they are and who they always were, that they thrive," Freeman said.
"And I just think that reading that is such a positive thing to show other people that when you are loved and supported that you can thrive and that is an amazing thing, not something to discriminate against."
'Under attack legislatively'
Hudak said the center's staff asked supporters to write their legislators during the time the story hour event was scheduled to take place.
"Right now in Pennsylvania and across the country, LGBTQ rights, our trans children are under attack legislatively," he said.
"Recently there's been a proposal from state Sen. Doug Mastriano [R-Franklin] to criminalize any sort of drag show in outdoor spaces which certainly is an infringement on our freedom of speech."
Hudak said the queer story times started in September and are part of the center's push to expand youth programming.
"The drag queen story hour offers an affirming space for either LGBTQ youth or LGBTQ parents who want their children to be able to read those types of books," he said.
"LGBTQ picture books are being banned across this country in public libraries and in school systems A lot of those books that get banned we will read here."
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.
