Library moves 'Drag Queen Story Time' to bigger venue

LAFAYETTE, La. — Interest in a Louisiana library's planned "Drag Queen Story Time" is so high that the event is moving to a community college auditorium.

A notice on the Lafayette Public Library's webpage states that it's moving the Oct. 6 event to South Louisiana Community College's Health and Sciences auditorium because of safety concerns resulting from an expected overflow crowd.

Libraries and book stores around the country have held programs in which men in drag read stories to children. Some drew protests.

The Lafayette event is being hosted by the library and the university's Umbrella Club, with readings by members of a University of Louisiana-Lafayette chapter of Delta Lambda Phi, a fraternity of "gay, bisexual and progressive men."

Public comments at a city-parish council meeting last month were overwhelmingly supportive. At a library board meeting last week, opponents appeared to outnumber supporters.

The books to be read are "Strictly No Elephants," ''From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea" and "The Rainbow Fish."

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Slide 1 of 1

"Strictly No Elephants" is about a boy whose tiny elephant is barred from a pets club. He starts a new club with a girl whose nonsmelly skunk was also barred.

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Slide 1 of 1

"From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea" is about a child who can change into any shape, but can't decide what to be. The child's choices include boy or girl, bird or fish, cat or rabbit, and tree or star. Schoolmates reject the child at first.

"The Rainbow Fish" is shunned by other fish after he refuses to give one of his gorgeous scales to another fish. He then makes friends by giving away all of his scales but one.

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