B.C. library postpones drag story time over violent threats, community organizes peaceful rally

The entrance of Nelson Public Library is shown in a file photo. The library decided to postpone a drag story time event scheduled for March 11 over safety concerns, prompting the community to organize a peaceful counter event on the same day in a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ2S+ community.

A B.C. library is holding off on hosting a drag story time event for children over safety concerns, prompting people in Nelson to organize a rally in support of the LGBTQ2S+ community.

The peaceful gathering is set to happen outside city hall on Saturday, March 11 at 10:30 a.m. which was when the drag story time event was set to take place at the Nelson Public Library.

On Wednesday, the library announced that the event was being postponed “in the interest of ensuring safety.”

“We recognize the rights of individuals to protest. When protests turn to threats and intimidation tactics aimed toward the staff and the story tellers, the safety of library patrons, public and the staff take precedence,” a statement by the library reads.

Steph Wiggins, a local sexual health and gender educator who helps organize Nelson Pride, was in the room when the library made the call to reschedule the event.

“We talked about other options and just felt that this was really the best way to go about things,” Wiggins, 35, told CTV News on Thursday. “This came as quite a surprise to the library. They were expecting pushback, but not threats of violence.”

In the wake of the cancellation, Wiggins says the response has been “really heartening.”

“The emails, the phone calls—90 per cent were from people who were in support of the library putting this event on, and it was a small but loud minority of people who were saying they didn’t want it to put on this event,” said Wiggins.

STORYTELLING OUTSIDE THE GENDER BINARY

One of the reasons it’s important for storytelling programs to exist, according to Wiggins, is that they teach children that everyone deserves dignity and respect—no matter how they present on the gender spectrum.

“As humans, we can present ourselves, we can dress however feels good to us and that should be something that’s encouraged,” Wiggins explained. “And because of that, (children) know that they should have the right to feel good in their bodies and wear the clothes that feel good to them, no matter what society is saying about how they should be dressing or what they should be doing.”

In its statement, Nelson Public Library pointed out that the two storytellers who were scheduled to take part in Saturday’s since-cancelled event are parents with professional experience working with children.

“The stories chosen for the even were hand selected by our children’s librarian, who is a trained professional with many years of experience delivering age-appropriate programming to children,” reads the library’s post on Facebook.

‘MISINFORMATION IS SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE’

This isn’t the first time the rights of queer people living in Nelson have been compromised, Wiggins explained.

In 2019, the Nelson and District Women’s Centre experienced what Wiggins calls “a takeover” by some board members who wanted to roll back trans-inclusive programs and services.

“This isn’t a one-off situation where I’m feeling angry. It’s every day in my life,” said Wiggins. “I feel worried, I feel frustrated and I feel scared for those of us who exist in trans bodies, because the misinformation is spreading like a wildfire and it’s not just words. It’s changing laws, it’s changing rights.”

In the battle against misinformation, Wiggins is urging people to arm themselves with information—some of which can be learned through free and self-paced courses on Trans Care BC’s website.

“Whether you’re queer or an ally and you’re having these hard conversations with people who don’t understand. I ask you to come from a place of connection and curiosity with that person,” Wiggins said. “If we don’t create connection with the people who we’re trying to educate and they don’t see the human in us, or the people we try to speak about, then we lose them.”

PROTESTING PEACEFULLY WITH PRIDE

When the community comes together outside city hall Saturday, in solidarity with the library and LGBTQ2S+ people, Wiggins expects it will look and feel like Nelson Pride.

“I think it’s going to be really beautiful,” they said. “It sound like there will be some people who will read stories to the crowd…I imagine there will be a dance party, maybe we’ll see some drag queens and drag kings out.”

Nelson Public Library is assuring the community that the event will go ahead at a later date.

“Through engagement and collaboration with the local LGBTQ2IA+ community, we look forwards to continuing to support equality, diversity and inclusion in meaningful ways: stay tunes for exciting future programming,” the library’s statement reads.

In addition to Drag Story Time, the library hosts more than 300 programs and events annually--ranging from Indigenous learning circles, writing mentorship for Black youth and training based on combating ableism, racism and bullying.