Lancaster County commissioners draw second week of comments over ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’

• By Tom Lisi and Ann Rejrat / LNP | LancasterOnline

An upcoming library event for children led by a drag queen prompted intense and impassioned speeches from residents during a marathon Lancaster County commissioners meeting Wednesday.

It was the second week in a row residents showed up to voice their concerns after Republican commissioners earlier this month denounced the planned Drag Queen Story Hour event as inappropriate.

And unlike last week, several county residents spoke out against the story hour planned for Saturday, some suggesting the event was simply too outside the mainstream for a public institution to host, while others panned it on religious grounds, citing their Christian faith.

Dwight Stone of Brecknock Township said he and his wife moved to the county seven years ago because they felt it reflected their cultural and religious values. He suggested the Drag Queen Story Hour at Lancaster Public Library signifies a cultural decline in the United States.

“We cannot allow that degeneracy to continually creep into this community,” Stone said.

Wes Saint, a Clay Township resident, called the event “sodomite story hour,” and challenged Commissioners Ray D’Agostino and Josh Parsons to attend planned protests Saturday to demonstrate their commitment to fighting the event.

The commissioners and the county government do not have any direct involvement in the Lancaster Public Library or its governance. The county commissioners do appoint members of a board that oversees the Library System of Lancaster County, which provides about $77,000 a year to Lancaster Public Library (about 3% of its budget) and other support, according to Lissa Holland, the library’s executive director.

Parsons and D’Agostino last week held off on reappointing two board members to the countywide library system, saying there were other applicants interested in the board.

Earlier this month the two Republicans called out the Drag Queen Story Hour on social media platforms, causing strong reactions across the political spectrum.

While residents opposed to the event expressed varying degrees of religious or cultural objection to the existence of a growing LGBTQ community, many of them objected to accusations that they were spreading hatred and turned the accusation back on supporters of the LGBTQ event.

A few supporters of Drag Queen Story Hour and the LGBTQ community jeered throughout the comments of those speaking against the event. At least one person shouted “Shame! Shame!” after every commenter against the event finished speaking.

In their own public comments, they stressed that the drag queen story hour is an optional event and will be age-appropriate for children.

Emily Givler of Ephrata said the condemnation of the event will send a message to children about members of the LGBTQ community: “It’s going to affect our children who are hearing loudly from all the adults in positions of power they’re not welcome here.”

On alert for potential trouble

The bad blood led some commenters to plead for peaceful demonstrations Saturday, as various groups with starkly different views on what mainstream American society should look like could converge at Binns Park and Barney Ewell Plaza outside the library’s main entrance.

“For the far-leaning of either of the edges of polarity on this matter, there could be great potential for danger,” said Liésa Burwell-Perry, of Conoy Township.

On Wednesday, Lancaster police Chief Richard Mendez said his department is following what potential demonstrators may be planning for Saturday.

“We have been monitoring the event and counter events and will have officers on duty to respond to any issues there,” Mendez said.

Outside the commissioners meeting, Anthony Diehl, of Strasburg, said that he will be protesting Drag Queen Story Hour downtown Saturday. He called for protesters to use self-control, being firm in their stances but not resorting to violence.

“Anyone who comes with me; we wage war with God’s word,” Diehl said. “People on both sides have let emotions get the best of them,” he said. Diehl also said he has been getting a lot of hate online but it is not deterring him from speaking out.

“I own my own business so I am uncancelable,” Diehl said.

The Library System of Lancaster County held its monthly board meeting Wednesday night. When the meeting was opened for public comment, no one participated. The board also approved of the following statement:

“Based upon the Pennsylvania Library Statute 24 PA, public libraries in Pennsylvania are locally governed, including those that are members of federated library systems. While member libraries may share resources and some system-wide policies, they remain independent and have the authority to make their own decisions regarding local library policies and programs. Subsequently, the Library System of Lancaster County has no standing power, or responsibility to control programming decisions of member libraries within the library system. We have no role or legal authority in determining or approving the content of library events; those decisions are in the hands of the local library boards and are governed by the policies set within their own communities. The Library System, overseen by a board of local library officials, provides support services to member libraries.”