Mayor Jeff Leal Makes Statement Regarding Expected Drag Queen Story Time Protest at Peterborough Public Library

City of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and Peterborough Public Library board chair Dan Moloney have issued the following statements regarding protests at the Peterborough Public Library Drag Queen Story Time event on Feb. 25.

betty baker addressing fans outside the peterborough public library after drag queen story time on Jan. 14. photo by felicia massey.

“The City of Peterborough supports providing an inclusive, safe community for all residents. We strongly reject any act that incites hate in the community against any particular group. Thank you to the Peterborough Public Library for promoting an inclusive community, offering programming for all residents,” Mayor Jeff Leal stated.

The Drag Queen Story Time event will feature local drag queen Betty Baker sharing some of her favourite stories around the themes of diversity, inclusion and respect.

“The Library Board supports the Library in its endeavours to educate and support inclusivity. We are behind the Library staff and the offering of Drag Queen Story Time,” Library Board Chair Dan Moloney stated.

The City of Peterborough is a member of the Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities. Member municipalities must advance initiatives to:

1. Improve their practices for social inclusion

2. Establish policies to eradicate racism and discrimination

3. Promote human rights and diversity 

The Peterborough Police Service provides an online reporting tool for reporting hate/bias incident.

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Protests, Counter-Protests and Persistence; Drag Queen Story Time Event Comes to Peterborough Public Library

Regardless of planned protests, the Peterborough Public Library remains unwavered in decision to host local drag queen Betty Baker for Drag Queen Story Time event on Jan. 14.

Photo courtesy of The Peterborough Public Library.

The upcoming event is hosting 19-year-old Peterborough drag performer Betty Baker, and will feature children’s book readings, sing-alongs and puppet shows geared towards kids ages three to eight.

“The books that I read at storytime are about accepting oneself and being creative, and this month we’re specifically focusing on expressing yourself,” says Baker, who has been invited back for story time after the success of a similar event back in September.

As a queer person in a small town, Baker expresses that events such as this offer a chance for youth to enjoy a fun storytime hour and learn about themes of emotion and acceptance in a “fun, colourful, artistic, whimsical and family-friendly” way.

“I’ve been a queer youth in the community, and I was (now) given the opportunity to become the role model I never really had in Peterborough growing up,” they said.

Echoing this message, Mark Stewart and Karen Clysdale of the Peterborough Public Library say they are proud to be offering a variety of programs and events for any and everyone in the community, pointing out that Betty Baker embodies such diversity “flawlessly.”

“What better person to show people that you can be different and still be valued and included than someone who’s grown up in this community,” says children services librarian Karen Clysdale. “Somebody who can say ‘I’ve been there, I’m still here, and I’m happy,’ and I think Betty is a fantastic example of what children can look forward to, and should expect, from their community.”

The library says this will be the first event of a once a month program they are introducing. Clysdale says her and Baker have worked together to choose a number of books for the event from the library’s collection.

“The event is themed like any other story time that either me or my colleague do throughout the year, only we have a guest presenter. These (themes) are being introduced in a natural, age-appropriate way, talking on a level that kids ages three to eight are responsive to,” says Clysdale.

Stewart mentions taking advice from neighbouring libraries who have dealt with threats in the wake of hosting drag story time events, hiring extra security and notifying local police to ensure there will be all hands on deck during the event.

“We’ve covered all the bases to make sure everyone has a really good time,” he assures. “At the last (Drag Queen Story Time) the counter-protest was much bigger than the actual protest, and it was more like a party out front of the library. There was a lot of support from the community and the attendance at the storytime was the biggest I’d ever seen. I know that there’s a lot of love and support, and even that is another level of protection (against) protesters.”

Spearheading said group of protestors is Hill City Baptist Church pastor Ben Inglis and 2021 federal election People’s Party of Canada candidate Paul Lawton.

The pair started the Drag Queen Story Hour Protest event online, and believe that drag story time is seeking to “normalize the fringe” and that the messages portrayed are harmful to children.

“I think a basic reason that everyone coming to protest would agree on is a shared conviction that drag entertainers shouldn’t be practicing their ‘art’ within a hundred miles of kids,” expresses Inglis. “Drag is, and has always been a movement saturated in sexual expression; the costumes, the stage names, the mannerisms. You can’t escape it.”

Inglis says that parents/guardians who take their children to such events are making a “terrible decision they will regret later in life.”

“Everyone of sound mind agrees that there are some things that as a society we should not allow, that's why we have proscriptive laws. The argument that ‘people should be allowed to choose whether they go to Drag Queen Story Time or not’ presupposes that drag queen story time itself a good thing (or at least neutral), and endorsing it will contribute to a healthy society,” says Lawton. “Our contention is that we ought to live out our identities as male and female in the way God made us, and that we should protect children from the false and harmful ideas at the root of Drag Queen Story Time.”

Lawton recognizes the inevitability of counter-protests.

“In principle I have no problem with counter-protesting, frankly it seems only fair,” he says.

It’s through the support of these counter-protestors that Baker says drag queen story time events in the Peterborough community can continue.

“Of course it’s scary to have people spew misinformation and hatred towards you or a community you are apart of online, but the support I have received greatly outweighs any of that,” assures Baker.

The Peterborough Public Library’s message is clear: “Everyone’s welcome at the library,” says Stewart.

It is through this frame of mind that the library extends an invitation to the Jan. 14 Drag Queen Story Time event to its protestors.

“For the people that are coming out to protest this event thinking that it is not age-appropriate, I think they have no true understanding of the scope drag performance can take, and I invite them to come and watch respectfully,” says Clysdale. “I feel like the idea that drag is purely a sexual presentation comes from a lack of knowledge, and in the library we always encourage people to learn more about something that they don’t know enough about.”

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Tynomi Banks Makes History As First Canadian Drag Performer To Sign With Major Agency And Is Coming To Peterborough To Celebrate

Tynomi Banks, a Canadian Drag Performer, has signed with APA, one of the largest talent agencies in the world. Banks will perform at The Peterborough Memorial Centre on June 24.

Photo courtesy of Tynomi Banks.

This deal makes Banks’ the first Canadian drag performer to be signed by a major agency in Canada, joining APA’s elite roster of talent which includes Arkells, Walk off the Earth, Nickelback, Mo Heart and Lights.

“I feel like a lot of the stuff I want to do, a lot of the goals I want to meet this year, it’s going to happen, I’m just in great spirits,” she said.

The APA announcement comes as Banks announces her 2022 tour dates across Ontario and California, including a show in Peterborough on June 24.

“You know when you get so excited you get nervous? That’s how I feel about coming back to Peterborough. I need to top my last performance.”

Banks performed in Peterborough in 2021 at the first ever Drive-N-Drag show.

“That show was so amazing. We did it and they said ‘ ok when this is over we’re getting you back indoors,” said Banks. “I’m so excited to come back. Even though it was raining that night it was the best, amazing, everyone was raving about it.”

Now, Banks will return to Peterborough with Synthia Kiss, Virgo Queen, SahiraQ, Ivory Towers and more.

To buy tickets, visit tickets.memorialcentre.ca.

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Downtown Restaurant Adds A Side of Drag Queens to Sunday Brunch

Peterborough’s newest restaurant, “The EL[P]” added some glitz and glamour to their weekend service as they hosted two sold-out drag brunch events on Sunday.

The EL [P] had its grand opening on March 2. The da Silvas also rented the former Olde Stone property but unknown to what it will be. Photo by Luke Best.

The event, “Hot As EL,” had an all-ages 11 a.m. show followed by an adults-only version at 1 p.m. Both were hosted by Just Janis and featured three additional drag queens, Banshee Waylon, Sahira Q and Betty Baker.

“We had worked with Betty Baker over in Cobourg and we had three drag brunches there already and it’s always been phenomenal,” said Greg da Silva, The EL [P] co-owner. ”It’s just great energy and we really appreciate it. When Janice reached out to us and asked us if we want to do it, we’re ‘like yeah, of course, we’re down.’”

The drag queens paraded around the venue during the sold-out shows, lip-syncing and dancing to songs. Guests enjoyed their meal and offered up cash tips to the performers. The closing performance was a group number to the song “Time Warp” that had the audience dancing beside the drag queens. 

“I have to say they’re kind of the leaders of doing safe shows throughout the pandemic and it’s just so much fun,” says Shawna Blackwood, who brought her mother with her to see the show. ”You come here and there’s just pure joy.”

Drag performances were on-and-off during the pandemic as Peterborough’s queens often cancelled their shows. Performers found it challenging to lip-sync with a mask and preferred not to cover their makeup after spending hours on it.

The EL [P] is located downtown on 378 George St. N., Hot Belly Mama’s former location. Owned by wife and husband Amanda and Greg da Silva, The EL [P] is a sister restaurant of their other location in Cobourg, called “The El.”

“We’re new to Peterborough and the community has seemed to embrace us,” said Greg. We’ve been open for just over 10 days and it’s going great!”

Peterborough has had successful drag shows with a sold-out show at the Gordon Best Theatre last weekend with Icesis Couture — Canada’s Drag Race’s second-season winner — in attendance. PTBO Live Summer Concert Series hosted its first drag show at the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot on July 24 last year. 

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