Coquitlam drag queen story time disrupted by protestors

Editor’s note: This article contains details that may be upsetting to some readers

A Lower Mainland drag queen story time event at a Coquitlam library was met with clashing protests Saturday morning.

The event, led by drag performer The “Unstoppable” Conni Smudge, was bracing for protestors in the lead-up to the event, telling CityNews Thursday that demonstrators made threats saying her presentation will sexualize or psychologically harm children.

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“Sexualizing children is not what we’re about. We’re about creating an all-inclusive space where everyone can be themselves,” she told CityNews.

“Some people have never experienced what we actually do. They’re making judgments without having any information.”

Supporters of the event showed up in droves, holding rainbow flags and signs which included things like: “Love wins”, “Drag is for everyone!” and “No place for hate.”

Selina Robinson, MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville, who was part of the counter-protest, told CityNews she was thrilled to see hundreds of people showing up from all over the Lower Mainland.

“I met people who were there from Mission and from the West End of Vancouver, and they all descended on Coquitlam Public Library, about three to 400 maybe more people who just said, ‘we’re going to protect the ability of this drag queen storytime to take place,'” Robinson said.

A sister with the queer- and trans-nun group, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, said Conni is “one of our saints.”

“She’s the unspeakable bellowing siren of the Georgia Strait. And actually, we just want to support her because she’s full of joy, she spreads joy. She does so much community work and honestly, she spreads love and nobody should bring hate on her,” the sister said.

One event supporter says there were people protesting the event who were trying to “promote hate and spread misinformation about the 2SLGBTQI+ community” who were met with queer-allies that were “trying to peacefully and calmly prevent that hate from being spread and creating safe places for everybody.”

The turnout by supporters of the event outnumbered the protesters, which Christine Miller says meant there is a “good, strong community that wants to create a space all over the world for just acceptance and love accepting people for who they are and not trying to inflict their views on other people.”

“I don’t have to agree with everybody and … I can just leave it be. So, the biggest thing is it’s about acceptance and safe spaces, for especially our kids that are a part of the community. They have a higher rate of suicide and attempted suicide because they don’t have a safe place to be.

“[So it is] about trying to save lives, trying to promote joy for families and kids,” Miller told CityNews.

Robinson says many from the 2SLGBTQI+ community came out to counter-protest too, and it pained her to see them being the target of “hurtful and mean-spirited” messages.

“What pains me is knowing that the queer folks, the trans folks who were there were feeling pain. I don’t want them to have to be exposed to this sort of vitriol and I would want to encourage hetero cis-gendered people like me to come out and make sure that our voices protect them, ” Robinson said.

“I want to encourage wherever you see hate to stand up to it and to not let that ring out. We have to shut it down no matter how it’s presented or who presents it. It’s just not the kind of society that I want to live in or have children in and I think it’s up to all of us to stand up to it.”

Related Article: Coquitlam drag queen story time event braces for protests

Music played outside the library, while protesters were said to have yelled “hateful” things, and held signs with anti-trans messaging.

In a statement to CityNews earlier this week, the library says this is the second time they’ve held a drag storytime, electing to do so after the first one saw success.

“The goal of a Drag Story Time, as held in many libraries across Canada, is to model inclusiveness, kindness, and acceptance, as well as to promote a love of reading. It is a voluntary event for people who may identify as LGBTQ2IA+, people in same-sex caregiver(s) families, their allies, and interested members of the public,” the library statement says.

The CPL adds there was “online pushback” and “small protests and counter-protests” in relation to last year’s event.

Coquitlam RCMP officers can be seen at the event, with the library saying that “we are grateful to Coquitlam RCMP’s for their support in keeping this event safe for families.”

In a statement to CityNews, Coquitlam Mounties say they “proactively” attended the library to monitor the planned protest.

“The majority of the protest remained peaceful with approximately 400 people in attendance at it’s peak. There was some minor pushing and shoving reported, but no arrests were made,” Cpl. Alexa Hodgins said.

In November, another drag time story event in a Vancouver neighbourhood was met with similar protests.

–With files from Keir Junos and Greg Bowman