The Nelson Police Department is investigating a string of potential hate crimes after a Drag Story Time event at the public library was cancelled this month.
According to a statement released by the City of Nelson, there are several investigations related to incidents that occurred on or around March 11 and “all of these investigations are being treated as suspected hate-motivated incidents.”
“The Nelson Police Department takes a proactive stance against hate crimes and is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all community members. We are dedicated to addressing bias-motivated incidents in our community,” the city statement read.
“We understand this situation has caused distress to many in our community, and we want you to know that we take these matters seriously. We ask for your patience as we work diligently to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted.”
Drag Story Time events, in which community members read library books to children while dressed in lavish clothing and makeup, have become a lightning rod for tensions around LGBTQ2IA+ curriculum in schools — with protests staged at several events.
The Nelson event was set for March 11 at the public library in the West Kootenay city.
On March 8, chief librarian Tracey Therrien said the event had been cancelled due to threats made against library staff and storytellers.
“We recognize the rights of individuals to protest. When protests turn to threats and intimidation tactics aimed toward the staff and the storytellers, the safety of library patrons, public and the staff take precedence,” Therrien wrote on the library’s Facebook channel.
Therrien said the two scheduled storytellers were parents with professional experience working with students and the books that had been chosen had been approved by the library’s children’s librarian.
“Though we are no longer hosting an event on Saturday, and apologize to the families who were excited to attend, we are not cancelling the program. Through engagement and collaboration with the local LGBTQ2IA+ community, we look forward to continuing to support equality, diversity and inclusion in meaningful ways,” Therrien wrote.
In November, 2022, a protest was held outside the Kitsilano Neighbourhood house and in January, 2023 a protest was held outside the Coquitlam Public Library as a Drag Story Time events were being held. Supporters say such events promote diversity and inclusion. Detractors say they’re inherently adult-oriented and prematurely acclimate children to adult sexual themes.
There were at least 141 anti-LGBTQ protests, threats and violent action against drag events and venues in the U.S. in 2022, according to advocacy group GLAAD. Seven states have proposed anti-drag laws in recent months, according to Bloomberg.
The City of Nelson’s statement comes as the B.C. Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner is set to discipline several Nelson police officers who were part of a social-media chat group that hosted racist messages and memes between 2018 and 2020.
— With files from Susan Lazaruk
