Victorian Parliament Hosts Drag Queens in Response to Community Outrage

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (left) and Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan are seen in front of the M80 ring road in the city's north-east in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 22, 2018. . (AAP Image/Julian Smith) NO ARCHIVING

State leader Premier Daniel Andrews has gone on the political offensive in the culture wars inviting five cross-dressers to Parliament House in response to the cancellation of drag storytime events across Melbourne.

On May 17, the drag queens were hosted by the Victorian Labor premier and Minister for Equality, Harriet Shing, to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia.

“Nobody shows up quite the way that a drag queen does,” Shing told reporters and members of the LGBT community and their children.

“When the morning teas weren’t going ahead and the story times weren’t going ahead, I thought, well, let’s get five [drag performers] and see if we can’t make Parliament more extravagantly sequined than it’s ever been,” she said reported The Age newspaper.

The drag queens read storybooks to the children as the state’s leaders watched on.

Premier Digs In on LGBT Rights

Premier Andrews has taken a strong stance on the drag queen storytime issue after community members reacted negatively to the events, forcing their cancellation across several taxpayer-funded libraries.

“It’s a reminder that progress isn’t a straight line. It’s a constant fight, a constant struggle,” Andrews said in a Twitter post.

“We want you to remember this. People who are driven by hate will always be overcome by people driven by love. In Victoria, you can be whoever you want to be,” he added.

The government also pledged $1.85 million (US$1.23 million) to Rainbow Health Australia for inclusion training to service organisations and $700,000 in grants to the LGBT community.

The state’s opposition backed the events complaining that they did not receive an invitation.

“Daniel Andrews needs to stop playing politics with IDAHOBIT, as it belittles the importance of equality and ensuring that all Victorians feel respected, included and loved,” opposition equality spokesman James Newbury said in comments reported by The Herald Sun.

On the same day, 79 local councils across Victoria raised the rainbow flag while also holding meetings to discuss the alleged targeting by “right-wing fringe groups” of the drag storytime events.

This week, three events were either cancelled or moved online after Victorian Police advised organisers of potential safety threats.

On May 18, a drag storytime event at the Woodleigh School in the Mornington Peninsula was cancelled, according to The Guardian, while one event at the Eltham Library a day earlier was moved online.

“The wonderful Eltham Library have been forced to move their Drag Storytime online due to Victoria Police advice,” the Rainbow Community Angels group wrote on Facebook.

About two weeks earlier, the Monash City Council cancelled a drag storytime event at the Oakleigh Library after large-scale community protests at a local council meeting.

In response to the parliamentary event, Victorian Senator Ralph Babet said it was nothing more than a distraction from the state of Victoria’s budget.

“This government has blown out our debt to a dangerous level. Our state’s debt is expected to grow beyond $165 billion (US$109 billion) by 2025-26, more than Queensland, New South Wales, and Tasmania combined!” he told The Epoch Times in a statement.

Babet also defended the protest actions against drag storytime while calling on the Victorian Liberal Party to do the same.

“These parents are not bigots, they are civilised citizens who believe in protecting our most vulnerable children from adult themes,” he said. “Since drawing a line in the sand to protect children from sexualised content, my office has been inundated with support from mums and dads right across the state.”

“The Victorian Liberals are classic LINO’s: Liberal’s In Name Only,” he said. “Their silence is deafening, and their leader John Pesutto clearly lacks the conviction necessary to take on Daniel Andrews.”

Drag Storytimes Prevalent Across Australia But Facing Push Back

Drag storytime events have popped up all around Australia, sparking a strong response from local communities.

In January 2020, students from the University of Queensland’s Liberal National Club—headed by Wilson Gavin—protested such an event at the Brisbane Square council library located in the CBD.

Yet local council member, Vicki Howard, criticised the group calling them “narrow-minded” and reiterating that the Club no longer had an affiliation with the state’s opposition Liberal-National party.

“This is a very successful event that has been held four times in Brisbane over the past two years, and staging this event reflects the values of Brisbane City Council,” she wrote on Facebook.

In August 2022, councillors from both sides of the aisle stood by the events in response to a petition from the Australian Christian Lobby that garnered 7,000 signatures opposing drag storytimes for kids.

Meanwhile, in Adelaide in March, death threats were issued against staff at the Mount Gambier Library over a drag storytime event featuring Dolly Diamond.

“Threats to any member of the community are unacceptable, and any acts of violence will be responded to accordingly,” said South Australia Police, in comments obtained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

In the same month, the CEO of the City of Bayswater in Perth stood by drag performer Cougar Morrison after protest flyers were dropped in the area surrounding the Maylands Library, where Morrison was set to perform.

While in Sydney, protestors in February rallied outside an event in the city’s Northern Beaches at the Manly Library while holding signs that read: “Drag Queens are not for kids” and “Protect little kids from sexualisation and adult themes.”