What’s the Harm in “DQSH”?
Most young children trust their parents completely. If Mom and Dad tell them to trust the police, they trust the police. They trust their parents will not harm them and will not put them under the authority of adults who will. In the same way, they trust the teachers Mom and Dad send them to.
Recently, I learned that there was a national program coming to our local library called “Drag Queen Story Hour.” My grandchildren and I go to the toddler story time regularly. I was somewhat concerned when I read the “Event” announcement on Facebook that this new story hour was starting.
So, I went to the website to see what I could learn. This is a direct quote off their website:
“Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. DQSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where people can present as they wish, where dress up is real.”
I spoke to our librarian who defended the program because it was going to be teaching about kindness and acceptance. She suggested that the name was probably not a good one.
There are several problems here:
- It seems that a short description that pops up when you go to the website would cover their highest priorities. They do not mention kindness or acceptance. It is more focused on “gender fluidity” and defying “rigid gender restrictions.”
- The “gender fluidity of childhood:” Children may experiment with both male and female behaviors but there is never any “fluidity” in their gender. They were “fearfully and wonderfully made in their mother’s womb.” Even if they were, as an adult, to “feel” like the opposite gender, their physical body remains how it was made (without surgery).
To teach young children otherwise is to confuse them further than they are already from hearing what is happening in the adult world today. Can we let them be children until they can have some understanding?
- “Gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models.” I was good with glamorous and positive. You lose me at “unabashedly queer.” This would indicate a deliberate effort to be rebellious and I have no idea what else that would include from their definition of the phrase. It does not sound wholesome enough for children.
Some teens may be able to see and hear a transgender story teller and discern what is “show” and what is real. But, young children are not going to get those things. It could scare them and it could confuse them – the thing we are sure of is that they will see it as “normal” before long. Once “unabashedly queer role models” are normal, what on earth will come next?
- “Defy rigid gender restrictions.” The goal of this one is so that they imagine a world where “people can present as they wish, where dress up is real.“ This, when taken to the full extent of its meaning, is horrifying. When these children learn at a young age that people can be whatever they say they are, then what will people begin to say they are?!
People will take this and run. They will be identifying as the sex that they are not, the race, nationality, and even age that they say they are – and no one will be allowed to argue with them. Imagine the consequences of this!
- “Where dress up is real.” So, we are going to teach children to see everything for what it looks like on the outside. We are not to consider what is actually “real” underneath. Not to mention that “dress up” means “not real.” What’s being said here is that children are to be taught that there is no truth; real is not real and not real is real.
Kids are being bombarded with this teaching in every arena. I would hope that home is the place where they would hear the truth from their parents. A boy is a boy even if he “feels” like a girl. Our gender is not a feeling – it is physical. I know that I will be seen as intolerant. I know that there are many who think that we are hurting transgender people by telling the truth (that gender is a physical thing decided by God before we are born).
Sadly, worldly experience can bring emotional distress. It can cause children to become confused and hurt. Why would we paint the consequences of this confusion and distress as a good thing?
We should not tolerate teaching these “unabashedly queer” concepts to small children who are not emotionally able to understand the difference between “gender fluidity” and a girl feeling like a “tom-boy” or a boy who wants to play with dolls.
Kids need the truth. The Bible says it is the truth that sets us free.
A Pediatrician’s View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=9-NQhDfloaM&fbclid=IwAR3Spmjx6s0Bac0nlickrvIEq0-3rYtZImJ9ziMPSRyVZCfxTmIX-W2kdxA
I only have one word. DISGUSTING.
It’s sad that our libraries are not more discerning.
As usual, society or the church did a bad job at something, and so there is now a cultural overcorrection in the opposite direction. We did a poor job accommodating and counseling the parents of the less than 5% of babies who are made in the womb by God and born with ambiguous genitalia, with bodies that don’t clearly display their gender, or with bodies that reveal both genders. The bad advice given emphasized shame and mutilation of babies’ bodies, which later proved detrimental to them as adults.
In an overreaction the opposite direction, we’ve lost our minds, encouraging people to go with their feelings, rather than to trust the biological facts. Scientifically, male genetics and genitalia mean that the person is male. Female genetics and genitalia mean that the person is female.
People can often feel out of place in their bodies, but they are still the gender that is evident biologically, as you pointed out. One biblical example is Jacob, who preferred to stay in the tent with his mother doing the things only women usually did. Meanwhile, Esau was out being manly and hunting. Yet, God chose Jacob, who turned out to be quite manly, able to tend the flocks for Laban, and the father of a multitude. Jacob was a man, and no one questioned this. He was not like the men of Sodom. Because there was never any doubt that he was a man, even though his hands were soft and he wasn’t hairy, he could be a man who happened to choose “female” occupations and enjoy the company of his mother. The Scriptures don’t judge this type of behavior. Jacob was himself.
The Scriptures do condemn the aberrations our society is now embracing, and we do need to instruct our children it is wrong to reject our gender or lack of clarity in gender in some cases. God has made them the way they are. But in giving these instructions, we need to be kind. Jesus spent time with the prostitutes and sinners, eating with them, and showing them the way to return to the Lord. Like it or not, our children will grow up and live in this world, interact with it, and reach out to it with the gospel. Therefore, we need to emphasize that brokenness is often behind the choice to act or dress as the opposite sex. All of us are broken in some way. We should not, however, attempt to normalize this behavior by taking part in the library event. To do so would be highly confusing to the children, because it presents this behavior as acceptable and normal.
What an absolutely vile world we live in! I was reading just yesterday about God going down to visit Sodom to see if its sins were as much as was coming before him. I do believe he is measuring the sins and it is about to be full. I thank God over and over for his long-suffering for being so patient with us this far… but this I just don’t even have words. How disgusting how horrible how evil!
These things are vile – praise God that He is our hope. He says that one day the “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9).” Let’s expose evil, loving our neighbor with the Truth (as you did in your post that I read this morning).
Thanks Melinda, I pray this did not come off as hateful but as one who is loving small children! It seems that our libraries (and some parents) are more concerned with the appearance of political correctness than they are of the minds of small children who have not reached a level of maturity to process these things in a godly way. I agree that our children will have to interact with the world – let’s prepare them to do so first.
While I definitely don’t think we should alienate or discriminate against anyone who identifies as LGBTQ, I also do not believe in pushing beliefs onto those who do not identify with this community…especially children. I’ve seen media stories where this is being included in sex education and the parents aren’t being given the option to opt out. Little by little, if we don’t wake up and speak up our children will be exposed to things we don’t agree with and there won’t be anything we can do about it.
Oh my goodness, I’d never even heard of DQSH! Thanks for what I felt was a loving post on a very tough topic.
Jessica, I hadn’t heard of it either until our local library proudly put up the event on Facebook. It i s a national program. They are pushing it pretty hard so you may want to let your library know before they consider it that you don’t think it’s a good idea! Thanks for commenting.
I agree Afi, there should not be anything that any parent cannot choose to opt out of for their children. Before God they are the ones 100% responsible for the education of their children. Our culture doesn’t make speaking up easy but then, God never said it would be easy! Thanks for commenting.
It is astounding what our children (and adults) are subject to these days. I was not aware that this was a national program. This a great post on a difficult topic. Thank you so much for sharing, this renewed my desire to pray for our families!
Interesting Michelle, I really think that the demise of the family is at the heart of so many of these sexuality issues. Praying for families is a good response. Thanks.
Well said, Beth. As someone who has worked in libraries for most of 30 years, I am appalled at this trend, that I also see quite evident in the new children’s book titles being purchased for circulation. But I am also saddened by the fact that this program was very well attended, and no doubt will be again. Our society has been pushing this agenda for more than one generation I’m afraid. It’s going to be an up-hill battle.
Thank you, Bonnie for the heads up about the books. I will pay closer attention to the books on the shelves. Perhaps your words are a warning that it is time to rethink our local libraries as safe places for our kids and “grands.”