Social conservatives—myself included—have been roundly mocked for objecting to trends like Drag Queen Story Hour, events featuring drag queens reading to children between the ages of three to eight (younger if the event is held at a daycare) and intended to promote gender fluidity through “glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models,” as the DQSH’s official website put it. Children love dress-up and costumes, so what’s the harm? Only a prude or a fearmonger would call this sort of thing inappropriate.
I’ve responded to this criticism at length, but with increasing frequency, the stories emerging in the news speak for themselves. Like this one, for example:
A London library is apologizing for hosting an event where an actor described as a “Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey” reportedly entertained children. Redbridge Libraries hosted the Mandiga Arts Group at a Redbridge Libraries Summer Reading Challenge event Saturday in east London, the Evening Standard reported. Video footage and photographs posted on social media shows a number of performers outside the event, including an individual dressed in a rainbow monkey costume exposing a fake buttocks and a fake penis. It is not immediately clear who the performer was…
“During an event put on at the library today there was a performance by a Carnival Arts Company,” the library tweeted.
Apparently this is meant to encourage kids in Redbridge to pick up reading for summer. Please tell me the rationale behind these indecent costumes that were shown to families and done so publicly. Is this really necessary? @Jas_Athwal@RedbridgeLivepic.twitter.com/6I8DBcmDM3
“Unfortunately one of the animal costumes was inappropriate which we were not aware of at the time of booking. We deeply apologise for the offence caused,” the library’s statement continued. “This is being looked into and a further statement will be made. This event was arranged by Vision and not Redbridge Council. Upon receiving complaints passed on by the Leader and Deputy Leader, we ceased the performance and are truly apologetic for the distress caused to residents,” the library said. “This will never happen again.”
Mandiga Arts apologized for any “offence caused,” saying the group “never intended to offend residents.” The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation as to who the “Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey” is.
“We respect everyone’s individual opinion with no offence to any part,” the group tweeted. “Actions are being taken, more information to follow.”
Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure (RCL) told the Evening Standard that it was “utterly appalled by the unacceptable event at Redbridge Libraries on Saturday” and said that it was organized by their “independent leisure contractor, Vision.”
The council’s leader Jas Athwal also told the Evening Standard that all future performances are canceled.
“The contractor had commissioned characters to support the start of the Summer Reading Challenge, but the costume in question was wholly inappropriate for the intended audience,” RCL told the publication. “A full and thorough investigation into how this incident happened has been launched and stringent action will be taken. We sincerely apologise for the offence and distress this has caused.”
Everyone involved in this fiasco should get fired. This isn’t an error of judgement. This is a defective moral compass. I understand that the ongoing sexualization of children’s entertainment is making things confusing for people, but a “Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey”? You don’t have to know what that is to know that it is disgusting and inappropriate for children (and anyone, I would argue.) If that makes me a prude, fine.
I’d prefer to be on the side of those who think that promoting sexual content to children is vile and unacceptable. A sane society would, too.
