© 2024 West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Telling West Virginia's Story
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Morgantown Library Cancels Drag Queen Event After Violent Threats

People rally in support of the LQBTQ+ community outside the Morgantown Public Library on Saturday, Nov. 16, following the cancellation of a Drag Queen event.
Jesse Wright
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
People rally in support of the LQBTQ+ community outside the Morgantown Public Library on Saturday, Nov. 16, following the cancellation of a Drag Queen event.

A West Virginia library says violent threats prompted it to cancel an event where drag queens were going to read to children.

The Morgantown Public Library System announced it was canceling its Drag Queen Story Time event in a Facebook post Friday.

The statement cited “multiple threats of violence against the volunteer readers” as the reason for the cancellation. A voicemail left at the library wasn’t immediately returned.

The library’s statement says it “remains committed to fostering a love of reading for all ages” and will instead have its staffers read for the event Saturday morning.

Nearly 100 people attended a rally to support the library and the LGBTQ+ community outside the library on Saturday morning, during the time the reding would have occurred.

Libraries and bookstores across the country have had similar events where men in drag read stories to kids, with some drawing protests.

WVPB news director Jesse Wright contributed to this report.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.

WVPB is local news, education, music, and entertainment for West Virginia.
Your donation today will help keep us strong and vital.