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Lawmakers to consider legislation after Brooklyn 'Drag Story Hour' bomb threat
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 24, 2023
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Courtesy Facebook/Cortelyou Library
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 24, 2023
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City lawmakers are in talks over legislation that could address the ongoing hostility aimed at kid-friendly readings hosted by drag queens. The discussions will take place days after a false bomb threat forced people to abandon a Drag Story Hour NYC event on Saturday in Brooklyn.
“I don’t like the notion of putting fear into people over something that is so innocent: reading a story,” Councilmember Rita Joseph, who represents the Brooklyn district where the incident took place, said.
Joseph confirmed that she – and other councilmembers – plan to enter discussions about potential legislative remedies on Monday.
The Cortelyou branch of the Brooklyn Public Library received a false bomb threat shortly before an event hosted by Drag Story Hour NYC on Saturday afternoon, the NYPD confirmed. The authorities – including its bomb squad – instructed attendees to leave, forcing the event to take place at another location. There were no reported injuries and an investigation is currently underway.
“It was unfounded, but they did clear the library,” Joseph said.
The event was advertised as the second in a series of three, with the next one scheduled for Oct. 28.
It’s not the first time it’s happened in Joseph’s district, either. The popular city-wide events – in which a drag queen reads to school children while educating them about gender diversity and expression – have been a source of contention since its inception in 2016.
The bomb threats on Saturday follow other insidious incidents: Drag Queen Story Hour protesters previously vandalized the homes of Queens Councilmember Shekar Krishnan and Manhattan Councilmember Erik Bottcher. Meanwhile, another drag reading at a Queens library drew a crowd of protesters.
The Cortelyou branch of the Brooklyn Public Library and the Drag Queen Story Hour did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
Politics
brooklyn
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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