Washoe County libraries cancel drag story hour due to 'aggressive protesters'

The Washoe County Library System on Thursday canceled its drag queen story hour program due to workplace safety concerns after a librarian was reportedly injured at an event.

The library system partnered with Our Center, an organization that provides support and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, to put on a summer program of drag queen story hour events. The events have consistently drawn protesters .

Brad Bynum, spokesperson for Washoe County libraries, said they received a “strong recommendation” from County Manager Eric Brown’s office on the advice of the Workplace Safety Committee that the library system should suspend the program.

“The reason is because of violence against staffers … perpetrated by a small group of very vocal, very aggressive protesters to come to these events,” Bynum said. “But in no means is it a negative reflection on Our Center or on the programming itself, but is instead a reaction to violence and aggressive language.”

Stacey Spain, executive director of Our Center, said a protester reportedly injured a librarian at an event.

“They have made a decision that is safest for their staff,” Spain told the RGJ.

The library staffer was reportedly injured at the North Valleys Library's drag queen story hour on June 15.

North Valleys library manager Jonnica Bowen told the RGJ on Thursday that the library tried to file a police report on the incident.

Reno police interviewed the employee but wouldn't make a report because they couldn't "determine fully how the injury happened with the other party involved," Bowen said.

The employee and library did file paperwork for a workplace injury notice with the county.

Spain said the center will discuss how to continue the program and promote inclusivity and the importance of children’s literacy.

The library system said they were going to continue their partnership with Our Center and participate in LGBTQ+ events. They also hope to be able to have the story hour again, but for now their priority is employee safety.

Bynum said things can get "scary" and that it's just a group of librarians helping, not a "police force."

“Hopefully (Our Center) finds a good partner and a good venue to keep doing it. The library has never wanted to not do these events. We love these events. The only reason that we're not doing it is because of genuine safety concerns for our employees,” Bynum said.

Bynum said he expects to see some disappointment from the community since it has been a popular event for the library.

Spain said her biggest concern was that kids would learn that “bullies always win” and she doesn’t want the protesters’ actions and cancellation to reflect this.

“It's just very disappointing when you think about it in a human rights context,” she said.

Our Center expressed gratitude to the community and the library staff who supported the program. However, they were “disheartened” to see their program undermined by the protesters.

“We call upon County officials to reconsider their stance and take proactive measures to protect all community events from harassment and intimidation,” the center wrote in a press release.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Washoe County libraries cancel drag story hour due to 'aggressive protesters'