ST. PAUL - The St. Paul Municipal Library board held a closed-door meeting on Tuesday evening regarding an upcoming Royal Tea Storytime planned to take place on Feb. 1, hosted by Pride St. Paul.
Royal Storytime with Lush PanHick will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 1 at the St. Paul library. Lush PanHick is described as a drag performer and community activist.
On Monday, Pride St. Paul released a statement, acknowledging it had heard concerns about the event, and further stating, “our upcoming Royal Tea Storytime event has sparked some controversy within our community and unfortunately, some of this dialogue has transformed from misinformed concerns to downright hateful comments.”
The statement further adds, “Though we can monitor our own socials online, the reality is that we cannot do anything to prevent the misinformed folks from targeting St. Paul Town council and the St. Paul Library with messages that the event be shut down or cancelled.”
Pride St. Paul asked those who were supportive of the event to reach out to members of Town council and board members with the St. Paul library, and "Let them know why this event is important to you, your family, our community and why it should be encouraged to proceed as planned.”
The statement was signed by Pride St. Paul.
Lakeland This Week tried to attend Tuesday’s meeting, but the door to the meeting room was closed.
Recent posts on social media included residents stating they did not support the event due to the likelihood of children attending, while other comments voiced support for the event.
On Jan. 15, a social media post on a public St. Paul chat group asked "citizens of St. Paul and St. Paul County" to "hold the line and protect the innocence of the children." The post invited those concerned about the event to arrive at the library at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 1 to take up the 160 seats that are available for the storytime.
Calls from both sides
Town of St. Paul Mayor Maureen Miller said the Town did receive calls of concerns from members of the community, as well as calls of support.
“I received both sides,” she said, on Wednesday.
Miller expressed support for the event, saying, “It is an opportunity to educate,” as well as an opportunity for the community to engage in a conversation. "It is the role of the community to create safe spaces."
On Wednesday morning, the St. Paul Municipal Library confirmed the event would be going ahead as planned, stating, the “Library looks forward to ongoing collaboration with St. Paul Pride and offering more inclusive programs and events in the future. We understand that different people may have varying perspectives, and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued.”
The event poster for Feb. 1 encourages people to “Wear your favourite dress, robe or other attire.” The day will include stories and crafts for all ages, while celebrating “the differences that make us stronger together.”
