Philadelphiaâs second most coveted K-8 public school, Albert Greenfield School in the Philadelphia school district, is now hosting Drag Queen Story Hour for first-grade children.
Alarmed parents reached out to Libs of TikTok after receiving an email Saturday, October 22 stating, âYour childâs classroom will be participating in the Drag Queen Story Hour!â Of course, there was no opt-out option mentioned, no discussion with parents, and no approval process. âWe look forward to an energetic, diverse, and inclusive story hour that celebrates every type of family,â the email read.
Greenfield school and schools across the country are holding parents hostage to their desired agenda by creating an atmosphere of fear. Parents are afraid to speak up. One Philadelphia parent told Libs of TikTok that it feels like she is in a âwar zone with no allies.â We all know what comes with the territory of simply saying you donât want your 6-year-old exposed to the hyper-sexualization that comes with drag queens â you are immediately ostracized and labeled a homophobic bigot.
It is still unclear why it is necessary to have a man, dressed as a caricature of a woman, reading to children in order to promote literacy. Thinking about this for only 4.3 seconds, I can think of about a dozen other ways to encourage kids to read.
A parent from the school said she is finally waking up to the real agenda, âItâs got to be everywhere, on repeat, and they have to start them as soon as possible. That is the strategyâ¦remove parentsâ authority and rights.â
The School District of Philadelphia responded to Libs of TikTokâs request for comment by defending the Drag Queen Story Hour for first graders saying they are committed to âinclusivity.â The District also claims that parents have the option to opt out, despite there being no option in the email notification about the event:
âThe School District of Philadelphia is proud to collaborate with a variety of community partners to provide an array of events and opportunities. We are committed to teaching inclusivity and acceptance to create positive academic, social and emotional outcomes for our students.
The drag queen story hour, a popular event throughout the City of Philadelphia, is designed as a creative outlet and intended to inspire and uplift students. This has not yet been scheduled with Albert M. Greenfield School. Our schools have an open line of communication with families so information about the event was shared with parents to allow an opportunity for questions. Like any external event or program that is held at school, participation is not required and parents have the opportunity to opt-out.â
Weâre not sure whatâs âinclusiveâ about men dressed as women performing for six year olds, but welcome to the new normal.