Queens Council Member Shekar Krishnan (pictured right) has slammed a group of protesters who demonstrated against Drag Queen Story Hour outside his home in Jackson Heights Monday (Photos via Twitter and NYC Council)
Jan. 18, 2023 By Michael Dorgan
Queens Council Member Shekar Krishnan has slammed a group of protesters who demonstrated against Drag Queen Story Hour outside his home in Jackson Heights Monday.
Krishnan said that the handful of protesters – who carried signs that read “Stop taking children’s innocence away” and “Let kids be kids” – had engaged in “disgusting behavior.”
Video footage posted online also shows one protester shouting “Stop grooming the kids on our tax dollars,” while the demonstrators appeared to have defaced the sidewalk, writing in chalk “groomer,” and “Stop pushing drag queens on kids.”
At one point the police arrived on the scene, although it appears that no arrests were made.
“After a meaningful day of reflection on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy, I came home to find homophobic and transphobic protesters outside my door, again, vandalizing the sidewalk and shouting slurs with my children inside,” Krishnan said in a statement.
“This disgusting behavior is another reminder of the work ahead of us. With every display of hate, our commitment to love and inclusivity only grows.”
The lawmaker also reiterated the city council’s support of the controversial program, where drag queens read books and perform for children.
“This New York City Council is committed to Drag Story Hour and to our LGBTQIA+ communities across the city,” Krishnan said.
Last night, after a meaningful day of reflection on Dr. King, I came home to homophobic and transphobic protesters outside my door, again, vandalizing the sidewalk & shouting slurs with my children inside. This disgusting behavior is another reminder of the work ahead of us. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/v4pZCUiwDm
— Shekar Krishnan (@voteshekar) January 17, 2023
Drag Queen Story Hour, whose advocates say promotes inclusivity and acceptance, sees local drag artists visit libraries, schools, and other community spaces to read to kids and teens. Some performances are funded by the city.
The program has drawn detractors, with its opponents saying that it is inappropriate for children and should be reserved for adults only. The opponents say that they are not homophobic nor transphobic and that they just want to shield kids from explicit performances.
Krishan’s office did not respond to the Queens Post when asked whether the council member was mislabeling the protesters.
#Breakingnews. Protest against drag story hour decent on the home of NY city councilman Shekar Krishnan . They stated they demand an apology for lying about them and to stop funding drag story hour For kids
( this footage was sent to me by an activist)#dqsh #NYC #monday pic.twitter.com/8hb7c8dQCK— Viral News NY (@ViralNewsNYC) January 17, 2023
Monday’s incident was not the first time protesters have targeted Krishnan.
In October, demonstrators defaced the sidewalk outside Krishnan’s office on two separate occasions.
Meanwhile, on Dec. 29, more than two dozen protesters—from the right-wing groups the Proud Boys and the Guardians of Divinity—clashed with around 150 supporters of Drag Queen Story Hour outside the Jackson Heights Library.
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Our elected officials really, really don’t want to hear the voice of the people. Ever.