A public library in Alaska will hold a winter celebration of all things LGBTQ on January 6th featuring a drag queen story hour for children billed as “Happy New Queer,” the Alaska Watchman reported.
The event, scheduled to be held at the Soldotna Public Library, will feature six “guest drag performers,” including one openly gay man whose drag stage name is “Ivanna Kischacok,” according to the Alaska Watchman.
“Ivanna Kischacok,” otherwise known as Andrew Castelli, wears a blonde wig and has jewels falling into his dress’s fake cleavage, according to cntravler.com. He also dons ball gowns, feathers, corsets and thigh-high boots, the website reported. (RELATED: Protestors Shut Down Drag Queen Story Hour Event At Library)
Soldotna starts off year with drag queen ‘Ivanna Kishakock,’ drag queen story hour at library – Must Read Alaska https://t.co/4LSxPcDXYP
— Real Men use X (@realmenuseX) December 28, 2023
The drag queen story hour is being organized by an LGBTQ activist group called Soldotna Pride and will be part of a day-long celebration including a performance at a local grocery store and a “Queer Karaoke” event at a bar, the Alaska Watchman reported.
Although the library included a disclaimer in the event announcement that reads the library “does not endorse these materials or viewpoints expressed in them,” it also encourages residents to “Bring the whole family to Soldotna Library from 11-12 pm for Drag Story Hour featuring stories read by Joe Royal Spady, local author: W.B. Clark and our incredible guest drag readers!” according to the Alaska Watchman.
Soldotna Pride has targeted youth in the past, including an event last year that ignited controversy after a video of an Anchorage drag queen apparently showing a man in a miniskirt and thong twerking in front of young children went viral, the newspaper reported. Another video shows the same drag queen gyrating in a leather miniskirt in front of minors, according to the publication.
Must Read Alaska claims the Soldotna Library event is “misogynistic-themed” and reports that “parents who want to steer clear” of the drag event can attend more traditional read-aloud story hours at a local hardware store on Saturday mornings.