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Home / World

Protestors slammed after storming library and shaming Brisbane drag queens

news.com.au
12 Jan, 2020 11:39 PM4 mins to read

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The protestors have been criticised for their actions. Photo / Supplied

The protestors have been criticised for their actions. Photo / Supplied

An Australian drag performer has hit back at a group of young protesters who stormed a public library and shamed two Brisbane drag queens during a storytelling session.

Footage showed members from the University of Queensland's Liberal National Club storming the Brisbane Square Library chanting "drag queens are not for kids".

Police were called to Brisbane Square Library after complaints that the group of protesters were scaring the children, reports news.com.au.

One of the people who had been performing as a drag queen at the event, Johnny Valkyrie, hit back at the protesters this morning saying they "put children, families, the staff and the public in the line of conflict and vilification".

"This is not about politics. This is about humanity," he said on Sunrise. "The family and the children were distressed by the event."

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The Veronicas' Jess Origliasso posted the footage to her Instagram on Sunday.

"This morning a good friend of mine took her daughter along to a children's story telling event in Brisbane by two gorgeous Drag Queens, when a screaming group calling themselves the UQ young Libs stormed the event in a public library, causing chaos and distress to children and everybody there," she said.

"I am absolutely furious. Our world is in need of love & healing, now more than ever. What they did today was add to the bigotry, division and trauma young children are left to face in today's society.

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"Bless the two Queens who were there to bring joy to children and their families."

In separate footage, one of the protesters can be heard instructing the person behind the camera not to film them.

The event was organised by Rainbow Families Queensland, an organisation that celebrates diverse families.

In a statement, they said the drag queen hosts are "fully trained" and hold Blue Cards allowing them to work with children.

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Protesters shout at a drag queen at the Brisbane library event. Photo / Supplied
Protesters shout at a drag queen at the Brisbane library event. Photo / Supplied

"Drag queen story time is a highly successful event that has been held four times in Brisbane over the past two years, inspired by similar events currently being held in public libraries across the world," the organisation said.

"Love makes a family. There's no room for hate in our hearts."

Families at Sunday's event have been offered free counselling.

The Liberal National Party has sought to distance itself from the group. Photo / Facebook
The Liberal National Party has sought to distance itself from the group. Photo / Facebook

UQ's Liberal National Club said on its Facebook Page it was making "a stand to defend LNP values against a corrosive gender ideology".

In a subsequent post, the group said: "What people do behind the closed doors of a nightclub is their business, but this event is designed to indoctrinate and sexualise young children. Our kids deserve better than this!"

Australia's Liberal National Party has sought to distance itself from the group, with a spokesman saying: "Late last year, the LNP state executive resolved to disaffiliate the UQ LNP club and asked the club to desist from using the party's name and colours."

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