Why Are Pride Events Targeting the Youngest Audiences?

By Joanne Seward Literacy Committee Chair

June is nationally recognized as Pride Month - a time intended to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, promote equality and reflect on the movement's history. From June 1 to June 30, major cities across the country host parades, festivals and educational forums. Various activities are highlighted to showcase their purpose and reason for existence.

Recently, I attended a Pride themed event hosted at a local Baltimore County library. The program was geared toward audiences ranging from very young children to adults. Interestingly, I had not seen this publicly advertised from the library, I only learned of it through an internal email and not directly from the library. When I checked the library's online calendar and saw the marquee by the driveway, there was no mention of it. It was scheduled to take place from 6 to 7 PM. 

Baltimore County Library LGBTQ+ Invitation for Young Children

Arriving a bit early, I took a seat opposite the activity room, in which the door was open, to quietly observe. There was a table near the entrance draped with a tri-colored cloth which held various craft supplies plus informative flyers. The parents began arriving holding the hands of their child or children and some were as little as 3 and 4 years old. Most of the children participating were approximately under the age of 12. The room was not full and many seats remained empty. According to the instruction sheet provided, the activity involved decorating a half-moon shaped paper plate to resemble a rainbow which is a well-known Pride symbol. The children worked quietly and attentively, guided by their parents, gluing colorful scraps of paper, tapping glitter and attaching cotton balls to create their rainbow craft. 

This experience reminded me of another LGBTQ+ event I covered and wrote about two years ago. In January, at the Canton Square library, there was a scheduled "story time" session that was hosted by the LGBTQ+ community for children. Upon arriving at the square, I began to approach the library door to gain admittance. I was denied entry and was told rather bluntly, "you do not have a child with you."  Stepping back away to the other side of the street, I began to wonder, how might a local city taxpayer, who does not support LGBTQ+ programming, feel about being turned away from their own public library on a cold Sunday afternoon?  

Per the ample news coverage later that evening, the storyteller was shown as a transgender individual, biologically male, but dressed as a woman. The person's attire was outfitted with bright colors representative of the community's signature color scheme. The setting in the designated room was decorated like a birthday party complete with balloons, streamers and party decor.   

And here is the sad part of this agenda. Their purposeful strategy of "recruitment" of the young. By enticing and wooing children with "story time" reading and using cut and paste activities to highlight the community’s symbols, dress, colors, and promoting their lifestyle books is underhanded. Should the LGBTQ+ community choose to live that lifestyle is certainly their choice but allow these little ones to remain innocent and pure.   

Which begs a question worth asking. Why focus on children so early?

Baltimore County Public Library LGBTQ+ Targeting Young Children