Storytime with Drag Queens in Greenwich

[Humph Warden Bennett]

Hi all, one from our local rag.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/greenwich/15704577.This_is_why_drag_queens_are_reading_stories_to_nursery_school_children/

My initial thought is that small kids in such a position would either not have a clue what was going on, or would find it frightening (as in like a clown).

[Shaker]

Kids look unscathed so far.

One commentator nails it:

I can't see why anyone would have an issue with this.
At Christmas people take their children to pantomines whereby a female part is always played by a man.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

Kids look unscathed so far.

One commentator nails it:

I would imagine that they simply don't know what is going on! Whilst I can see a case for older kids meeting a drag queen & asking questions of him, I really don't see the point in getting under three year olds involved, in my experience of young kids they don't even want to play with each other until they reach about three and a half.

[Shaker]

I would imagine that they simply don't know what is going on! Whilst I can see a case for older kids meeting a drag queen & asking questions of him, I really don't see the point in getting under three year olds involved, in my experience of young kids they don't even want to play with each other until they reach about three and a half.

They were being read a story though weren't they? If they didn't know what was going on, they could think: "I don't like this story. I'm bored" rather than "I don't like this because it's a man in a dress and make up", surely? If you're under three a story is a story wherever it comes from, I'd have thought.

[Udayana]

Shouldn't that be "Drag Monarchs"?

[Nearly Sane]

Shouldn't that be "Drag Monarchs"?

Playing with The Hexagons of Lightning, and The Pumps of Iniquity at the next big forum bash.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

Shouldn't that be "Drag Monarchs"?

 

[Humph Warden Bennett]

They were being read a story though weren't they? If they didn't know what was going on, they could think: "I don't like this story. I'm bored" rather than "I don't like this because it's a man in a dress and make up", surely? If you're under three a story is a story wherever it comes from, I'd have thought.

In that case then why have a man in drag doing it? Why not have the usual young mum in jeans & a T shirt? (OK a jumper this time of year)

[Rhiannon]

Shouldn't that be "Drag Monarchs"?

I think the term ‘queen’ is rather important in this context.

Gutted I never had this at story time at nursery. We did get told stories by men in dresses though. Some of them were pretty scary. Supernatural drowning of the whole world as a punishment. Innocent children being massacred. Tales of torture and beheading. ‘Vicars’, theses storytellers were called.

Still, live and let live.

[Shaker]

In that case then why have a man in drag doing it? Why not have the usual young mum in jeans & a T shirt? (OK a jumper this time of year)

Acculturation, I guess. If kids learn from an early age that boys can wear dresses too if they want to they're significantly less likely to grow up to think that there's something wrong with boys wearing dresses if they want to (sometimes when they're told to think this by other men in different dresses).

[Robbie]

Flippin' 'eck Rhi, what sort of nursery school did you go to? It sounds terrifying.
Can't say i ever came across anything like that.

I'm all for kids growing up in a tolerant environment and learning that people are individuals don't all fit into set boxes - I was brought up like that (my mum's Quaker influence and no she didn't push any Quaker faith onto me and sis  but the ethos was strong), but I doubt I'd have realised a man in drag was reading to me at the age of three. I'd have just listened to the story if it was good. As I got older & went to a couple of pantos I did know that fairy godmothers and the Queen in Cinders were really men & didn't think there was anything amiss about that, nor Jack who climbed the beanstalk or Prince Charming being a young woman.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

I think the term ‘queen’ is rather important in this context.

Gutted I never had this at story time at nursery. We did get told stories by men in dresses though. Some of them were pretty scary. Supernatural drowning of the whole world as a punishment. Innocent children being massacred. Tales of torture and beheading. ‘Vicars’, theses storytellers were called.

Still, live and let live.

The stories that we were told at Sunday School were the likes of Daniel in the Lions Den.

[Robbie]

I remember painting Noah's Ark in kindergarten. Didn't go to Sunday School.

Vicars don't usually go around telling kids scary stories in church anyway, do they? Nor do they generally wear long frocks out of church (some might I suppose, if they like them).

Things that scared me were some parts of history.