A Kelowna woman's petition against a forthcoming drag event geared towards children was removed after the platform hosting the petition called the woman’s message “hate speech.”.Laurie Baird spearheaded the petition on change.org in response to the upcoming Drag Story Time event at the Downtown Kelowna Library, set for January 28..“Join us as we welcome Freida Whales, a talented performer and storyteller, as she shares her favourite stories with us in a fun and interactive way,” said library staff..“This event is perfect for children of all ages and is sure to be a memorable experience for the whole family.”.The program aims to bring what it calls diverse and inclusive programming to communities, noting that everyone deserves to “hear and see themselves reflected in the stories we share.”.In her recently axed petition Baird calls drag queen events “adult entertainment,” making the argument that it is inappropriate for young children, irrespective of contrary claims..“Drag queens and strippers are not appropriate role models for young children who tend to idolize any live entertainer that they meet,” reads the petition, adding that such events lead to early sexualization in children which, as per Baird’s claim, heightens the chances of various problems later in life.."Children after meeting these performers may want to follow them on Facebook and Instagram and some of the photos and videos posted by these entertainers are not appropriate as they contain sexual content," she added..Baird says the petition reached nearly 2,500 signatures before change.org removed it..“We're writing to let you know that information you've included in your petition has been identified as hate speech,” reads the memo provided to the Western Standard..“We don't allow content that attacks or maligns an entire class of people based on characteristics such as their age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, gender identity, nationality, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, medical condition, or veteran status. As such, we have had to remove your petition.”.In response to Baird’s petition, a counter-petition was launched by Kelowna's Sydney Richardson-Carr..“It is with great sadness and disappointment that I have seen the recent petition in Kelowna to end drag story time and other family friendly LGBTQ+ events,” writes Richardson-Carr..“People opposed to these events unfortunately do not understand that exposure to LGBTQ+ entertainment only serves to enlighten young people that there are many ways to live a happy, fulfilled, and fun life.”.Richardson-Carr says that family friendly drag events do not involve sexually explicit material, but rather provide opportunity for children to be "exposed to different ways of living through art, clothing, and expression.".“As a taxpayer of Kelowna, I hope the mayor and city council continue to support events,” she adds..The counter-petition — which stands on its own since Baird’s got the boot — has nearly 2,000 signatures so far, including a signature from drag queen Connie Smudge who was protested in Coquitlam Saturday..The Western Standard reached out to change.org's media representatives for further comment, but has not heard back..WATCH: Protesters clash at BC Drag Queen Story Time event for children
