Drag Queen Story Time event in Royal Oak brings out protestors, supporters

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Drag Queen Story Time event in Royal Oak on Saturday not only brought out supporters, but also a small group of protesters.

Every Saturday, Sidetrack Book Store in Royal Oak offers children story time. This time, there were protests and demonstrations in support and opposition to the people selected to share those stories—The Drag Queen. 

"Royal Oak has made it clear. Drag Queens are welcome here," said a supporter of the event.

The idea behind this event is to share stories with children, which cultivates an open-minded approach to learning, according to the bookstore.

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"Children who come to our store always feel seen and valued and welcome. And they see themselves reflected in the books on our shelves. That is story time for us," said Jen Brown, the owner of Sidetrack Bookstore.

"I am just another human being who likes to wear a costume and who likes to teach love and acceptance, so we can have a better world in the future," said Luscious Minj, a Drag Queen who attended to support the bookstore.

But not everyone sees it that way. That includes the Oakland County Republican Party, which encouraged its members to attend the protest ahead of Saturday.

"I'm praying for the drag queens, especially that they have a change of heart," said James Desana III, one of the people who protested the event.

"Exploitation of children is a felony. It's a crime. I don't think conservatives would have a problem with what is going on here if it wasn't targeted towards children," said Adam Besso, another person who protested the event.

The co-owner of the Sidetrack Book Store in Royal Oak says they have held a Drag Queen Story hour at their store once before without any demonstration or disturbances.

"Looks like we are getting a lot of love and support from our community, and that is fabulous," said the co-owner.

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