Downers Grove Public Library Controversies Over October Drag Bingo Event For LGBTQ Teens

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (WLS) – It all started when the Downers Grove Public Library announced the inclusion of the drag queen bingo event in their latest newsletter. Now the library is embroiled in the midst of a controversy that has grown larger than the village itself.

The library has announced that it will be hosting an event on October 11 called Drag Bingo, which is set to coincide with Independence Day. This event is geared towards students in grades 7-12.

“We wanted to create a safe environment where youth can see differences celebrated from the outset with accessible performance and,” said Julie Milavec, Director of the Downers Grove Public Library. suitable for ages.

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According to library officials, the event will include a drag queen hosting a bingo game, who will then perform a brief performance where they will lip-sync the song “Rainbow” by Katy Perry.

But opponents of it say a performance is by definition, sexual in nature and not in a taxpayer-sponsored context.

“I understand that we should support those kids. They shouldn’t be punished, teased, bullied, all equal rights and everything and we should accept that. But this is a little bit of a no-brainer. necessary and radical,” says Terry Newsome of Parent Involvement Education.

“This would be wrong if it were about it, it’s about straight sex and it has a sexual undertone. It’s not appropriate for 7th to 12th grade. It’s something that needs to be taught to deal with in the home, not the same. not something handled in a public library,” said Keith Pekau, mayor of Orlando Park and Republican candidate for District 6.

The event, one of more than 900 libraries held annually, will cost $125 to organize, an amount they claim was covered by a sponsor.

Pastor Kirk Moor, who serves as a pastor at one of Downers Grove’s two LGBTQ+ congregations, asserts and complains about the controversy that has been stirred up.

“Meanwhile, transgender kids or gay kids or lesbian kids or whatever and say they’re terrible just because some adults want to score some major points treatment and I think it’s terrible,” he said.

The library said it would not cancel the event, which was already running at full capacity, but acknowledged that it would engage in conversations with the local police department to provide security that night.