A library in a liberal D.C. suburb is under fire for sanctioning a drag queen story time event, in which the host performer encouraged children to act out and sing along to a reimagined version of "If You're Happy and You Know It."
An announcement for a June event on the Montgomery County, Maryland Libraries website characterized them as "captur[ing] the imagination and play of the gender fluidity in childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models."
Manhattan Institute fellow Christopher Rufo – who spent months researching drag queen story time events such as the recent one at Aspen Hill Library – told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Thursday – that parental instincts about the danger they pose to children and the nuclear family structure are real.
"A lot of parents are wondering why is an adult male putting on women's clothing and dancing and talking about sexual themes with other people's children, not only in libraries, but also in schools and other public institutions," he said.
DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR FOR 1ST GRADERS AT PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL OUTRAGES PARENTS
"But they're scared to say anything because they're worried about offending the sensibility of many of the administrators and left-wing ideologues who police speech under the umbrella of LGBTQ tolerance."
Rufo said the folks who created the trend of hosting drag queen events for youngsters left a "trail of evidence" through their writings that suggest they want to "sexualize children and subvert the middle class family."
"They want to basically eliminate what they call the sexual hierarchy in favor of creating a sexual connection between adult and child, which has, of course, long been the kind of final taboo of the sexual revolution," he warned.
Rufo contended some folks were originally were "mystified" by the events and "bought into the idea it is somehow an expression of tolerance and exploration."
Earlier this week, a Philadelphia parent came forward with an email from their first-grader's public school announcing a drag queen event for the class.
In response, the School District of Philadelphia said the Drag Queen Story Hour program has been popular vessel to "inspire and uplift students." The school district added that while an event has not been formally scheduled at the school, information about it was shared with parents to allow them to offer feedback and questions.
Both Maryland and Pennsylvania are locked in contentious gubernatorial races. Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano has denounced such events, telling Fox News earlier this week that if elected, he would rid the education system of such "woke nonsense." He and opponent Joshua Shapiro are within single digits with the Democrat ahead.
In Maryland, social-conservative State Del. Dan Cox, R-Frederick, is trailing Biden-endorsed Baltimore Democrat Westley Moore by double digits.