Members of Keep Gender Ideology Out of Schools are calling on Roger Jaensch, Minister for Education, Children and Youth, and Leanne McLean, Commissioner for Children and Young People, to investigate a 16 June 2022 event at the Cambridge Road Play and Learn Centre in Warrane, where drag queen Anna’mal Tuckerbox did a story time presentation to toddlers and
other young children who attend the centre.
Cambridge Road Play and Learn Centre posted 18 photos of the event on its Facebook page a few hours later.
“I respect Anna’mal Tuckerbox as a drag queen and as a First Nations person”, said mother of two young children Rebecca Crossin. “But a children’s day care centre isn’t an appropriate or responsible platform for adult entertainers to promote an agenda other than just story telling. Parents can teach our children about diversity and acceptance without it being incorporated into ideologically motivated programs at childcare centres. Many parents and
grandparents see performances such as this as tantamount to grooming. What child knows anything about drag queens? They aren’t exactly The Wiggles. This was a decision clearly made by adults. Just let kids be kids.”
Mother of one Lynne Robertson said: “While it seems from the photos that Anna’mal Tuckerbox only read to the children, drag queens are performers; their presentation is by definition sexualised. Sexualised performances to young children in story times in the UK and the US are found all over social media and parents are speaking out against it. This activity is so inappropriate that other drag queens, such as Kitty Demure, have opposed it too.
Adult entertainment performers belong in adult venues not in day care centres.”
“Leanne Mclean and Roger Jaensch need to put a stop to adult performers bringing their personal agendas to our toddlers and pre-kinder aged children,” said Crossin. “It’s inappropriate and it tarnishes the reputation of the broader LGBTQ community. If drag queens want to get more involved in the community, they could teach drag makeup and dress within college theatre groups. This isn’t about excluding anyone, it’s about finding an appropriate niche.”
“Elsewhere,” Robertson said, “New York City and state governments have spent $200,000 on performances by drag queens to young children in public schools since 2018. State and federal governments subsidise childcare centres in Australia and these performances must not be funded in any way by the taxpayer.”
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