The ‘Drag Queen Storytime’ held at Masterton District Library attracted a small group of protestors on Saturday afternoon.
Three people with placards and a couple of supporters stood outside the main library entrance on Queen St while the event proceeded inside.
When the Times-Age arrived, the protesters had been joined by a passerby who was directing the children and parents arriving for the event to the library’s back entrance [the front was locked] and occasionally remonstrating with the protesters.
The man said he was irritated by their claim that the event was “sexualising story hour”.
“It’s not sexualised at all. It’s just people reading a story. Had Barry Humphries been here [as his character Dame Edna Everage] would they still be outside with their signs? I suspect yes, which makes their claims bullshit in my eyes.”
When the man continued on his way a little later, one of the protesters took over the chore of politely pointing anyone arriving for the event to the appropriate entrance.
Over the next hour or so, a number of other passersby stopped to talk with the protestors – some agreed with their concerns, while others disagreed and debated with them.
For the most part, the discussions were calm, although on a few occasions the obvious exasperation of a couple of the parents who had brought their children to the event boiled over, and they raised their voices and directed some relatively mild abuse at the protesters.
The protesters’ claim that prompted the most pushback was that the event was “grooming” children.
One of the protesters acknowledged the term is provocative and said he was trying to convey his view that such events are a slippery slope to normalising a form of entertainment that should be the sole preserve of adults, and can involve content that isn’t age-appropriate [another protestor expressed concern about changes to how sex and gender are taught at primary school].
He also objected to the idea that council rates were contributing to the staging of an ‘inclusive’ event which he said excludes more conservative communities, like Muslims and Brethren.
“I’m just exercising my right to say I don’t appreciate it,” he said.
Shortly after the event ended, Masterton police responded to reports of a man getting “heated” outside the library, but when they arrived the man [who objected to the protesters’ presence] had already left, and there were no further issues.
Reportedly a man also shouted abuse at performer Ivanna Drink as she left the venue; the Times-Age understands this was an intoxicated individual who had earlier been aggressive towards the protesters.
All in all, the way in which the protest – and the reaction to it – unfolded was a far cry from a similar event in Auckland earlier this year that was disrupted by protestors.
It’s doubtful that any of those who engaged in argument at the event will have changed their views as a result – as is so often the case, it’s not so much that people had alternative facts as very different frames of reference.
But it was extremely encouraging to see Wairarapa residents civilly disagree in a way that appears to be beyond some of our big city cousins – well, except for that one drunk dude who seemed intent on getting into some aggro with just about anyone.
It was an exemplary example of free speech in action all round.
