Sad news reaches us from Miami that the global Drag Story Hour group has closed its Miami chapter. And it will come as no surprise why, it’s utterly depressing that De Santis has won this round. For now. However, with an anti-drag law being introduced in Florida (a federal judge has temporarily blocked it) the future looks so un certain.
The group made the announcement on social media citing “the physical safety of our storytellers.” The married couple who ran the chapter, drag queens Angel Elektra and Shay D’Pines, said that they no longer feel safe in Florida and are moving back home to New York.
Elektra shared that they were getting hateful emails, Facebook calls, direct messages, and people leaving comments on their personal page. A venue also canceled their booking for fear of the anti-drag laws. “It’s time to go. I tried. I tried,” Elektra said. “It’s become a little scary. My husband and I live in this state alone. We don’t have anybody here.”
“It’s really changed society’s view and the everyday experiences of our story hour, just living our lives,” explained Jonathan Hamilt, the executive director of Drag Story Hour. “It’s becoming increasingly harder with lots of hate and trolling online and in person. It’s just becoming not a safe space for us to be able to hold events anymore.”
Drag Story Hour has chapters in 45 states across the country, as well as chapters in Japan, Denmark, Germany and Sweden. Drag queens volunteer for events and read to children, but in person and through virtual programming.
Elsewhere Hamilt said that Drag Story Hour also had to close its Little Rock chapter in 2021 after legislation passed specifically targeting drag performances; the law was gutted earlier this year. The Nashville chapter is still going strong thanks to a judge ruling anti-drug legislation as unconstitutional.
“It’s sad and I think it kind of makes it seem like the right is winning or gaining space, but ultimately we will be back,” Hamilt said. “We’re excited and happy to offer virtual events.”
https://www.dragstoryhour.org/
