Drag Queen Storytime hosts event in Louisville despite protests, threats of violence

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Days after Governor Andy Beshear vetoed a bill that is considered one of the most extreme anti-trans bills in the nation, a Drag Show Storytime in Louisville faced protesters and even threats of violence.

Earlier this week Governor Beshear vetoed Senate Bill 150.

Despite the protests and threats, the Drag Show Storytime continued on with help from ally groups.

Drag Shows and Drag Show Storytime have been a hot topic for the last several months.

So much so that in some places the conversation has even sparked violence.

However, Drag Show Storytime Kentucky said they will not let the threats hinder the message of unity they want to send.

From small Trunk or Treat events to renting out venues, Drag Queen Storytime Kentucky has come a long way sharing their message.

“At Drag Time Storytime Kentucky, we want to make sure people know they are not alone and that there’s a place they can be loved. And a place they can to share in ideas, be themselves and really find their friends and family,” said Drag Queen Storytime Kentucky Executive Director Julian Adam.

The legislative fight to ban Drag events brought even more attention to the events and has created intrigue from those who have never seen a show.

“When all of these Republican lawmakers kept making this big deal about drag queens, I looked up drag queen story times,” first time Drag Queen Storytime goer Buffy Greenwell said. “I googled it and wanted to see of there was an opportunity to check it out, we found one and here we are.”

Their message doesn’t appeal to everyone. Their presence invited potential threats from hate organizations looking to interrupt their event.

Thanks to the rainbow colored shields from local allies in the name of Parasol Patrol, they were able to push forward.

“Because of the climate of the world and everything that’s going on, community support is what we’re looking for,” Adam said. “And so, they offered to come to do what they do which is shield from the hate, and we accepted that offer with loving and open arms because we’re here to spread love at the end of the day.”

While there isn’t an official Kentucky chapter of Parasol Patrol, they went into Sunday with the same objectives, which is to shield participants and kids from protesters who come by.

“The whole point of that is to be completely non-confrontational,” LGBTQ ally Monica Turner said. “Not to engage the protesters in anyway and simply to provide a happy, lovely rainbow shield to keep them from having to see that hate.”

The event did see a small group of protesters and even had a bomb threat that was confirmed by Drag Queen Storytime.

Despite all of the hiccups, visitors said they still enjoyed themselves.

“It wasn’t that bad,” first time Drag Queen Storytime goer Jaelyn Greenwell said. “It was honestly really wholesome and nice. There was other little kids younger than me, got to pet sweet goats and it was amazing. Nothing inappropriate.”

The bomb threat Sunday did lead to an evacuation, but once the venue was deemed safe, people were allowed back inside.

Although Governor Andy Beshear vetoed Senate Bill 150, supporters of the bill are expected to fight to continue to push it forward.

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