One arrested after far-right protest erupts outside drag queen’s children event
metro.co.ukbooks about kindness and inclusivity to children.Members of Patriotic Alternative, a white nationalist group, led demonstrations this morning outside a Drag Queen Story Hour UK event at London’s Tate Britain.Drag Queen Story Hour UK’s programming sees drag performers read to kids in libraries, festivals and schools.But Patriotic Alternative says it has ‘passionately opposed Drag Queen Story Hour since its arrival in the UK’ and has protested ‘dozens’ of story-tellings, even getting some ‘shut down’.Protesters held signs reading ‘groomer’ with an image of an LGBTQ+ Pride flag as well as ‘Leave Our Kids Alone!’ in front of a line of police.
Some came wearing t-shirts reading: ‘Groom Dogs, Not Children.’In response, hundreds of people came holding trans Pride flags and signs reading, ‘Don’t let the far-right divide us’ and ‘Smash Fascism and Racism’ as part of a pro-LGBTQ+ counter-protest.To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro.co.uk's dedicated page.‘We protect our kids through acceptance and education, not hate,’ another placard read.In video footage, one of the counter-protesters chants into a megaphone: ‘What are you so afraid of?
It’s just wigs and make-up.’Award-winning author Aida H Dee, known out of drag as Sab Samuel, was hosting three readings as part of the Tate’s LGBTQ+ History Month events. ‘Hear fabulous stories in an exciting storytime show from Aida, the first drag artist in Europe to read stories to children in a nursery,’ the event description read, noting that the sessions took place at 11am, 12pm and 2pm.Dozens of parents and guardians and their children packed the gallery to hear Samuel read.During the midday event, five ‘haters’ stormed the Tate, Samuel tweeted. ‘They caused a disruption,’.
