A drag queen who performs under the stage name Annie Depressant has coped vile abuse online for reading to children during storytime at a Melbourne library.
The performer reads to children about being confident and educating them about varying family dynamics.
But Annie's goodwill has been met with harsh criticism, with locals calling for his storytime sessions to be shut down.
While Annie says there is no queer or LGBT agenda, dozens of locals have labelled the performer "sick" and "evil", as well as a "paedophile", a "socialist" and a "communist".
"Who would subject their children to this mental illness," one person wrote. "It's official, the world has gone mad," said another.
"This is absolutely abhorrent. Children do not need to be read to by strange guys in dresses," one person wrote online.
Despite the hate, Annie, who has clearance to work with children and has no criminal record, says her events will continue to be run.
"It's an opportunity for children to come speak with me, I had kids talking my ear off about their own artistic endeavours last time," Annie said.
"Nobody's being forced to come or forced to listen. It is perfectly acceptable for somebody to say 'this isn't for me' and walk away, and I understand and respect that.
"I would like to remind them that I am a person, everything they are saying is being said about a real person and there is nothing inherently inappropriate about being a drag queen.
"I'm being accused of sexualising children ... claims that I am a paedophile.
"Nothing has ever been about saying 'change your gender' or 'be a gay person', it was 'accept yourself and love yourself'."
She argues that drag storytime is important for children to learn the importance of diversity and inclusion, and the events were planned over a number of months with input from the libraries and parents.
