Rochester LGBTQ+ Together stands firmly and vocally in solidarity with our community partners and friends at Pittsford CommUNITY. Drag, like any other art form, can be catered to be appropriate for just adults or all ages, depending upon the audience and venue. Drag story time events are specifically created for youth to celebrate acceptance, love, community and reading!
Allegations that drag queens are unsafe around children are just another form of the tired old ignorant, bigoted tropes that LGBTQ+ are groomers, pedophiles or trying to convert children. Neither fact nor science support these gross allegations.
To restrict access to use of public facilities by LGBTQ+ individuals (fellow taxpayers) – either through policy changes or exorbitant fees – is discrimatory, morally wrong and possibly illegal. If you prohibit LGBTQ+ events because homophobes or transphobes are threatening to cause disruptions in your community, then you would also need to ban BIPOC events if racists and white supremacists protest or Jewish events if antisemites protest. None of these are acceptable and all of them alienate innocent community members and cede ground to hate.
All community members deserve to be accepted at, welcomed to, and safe within public community spaces. We must celebrate our beautiful diversity and stand up to hate, always.
