What is the hashtag “Drag is not a crime” (#DragIsNotACrime) all about and why are we making it the theme of YarnPride 2023?
Even though much has been achieved regarding the equality of queer people in (Western-)Europe, the past years have seen an increasing number of attacks on the community.
One such instance was a 2022 event in Vienna, a drag queen’s children’s story hour, which was disrupted by right-wing extremists (see this article: Wien: Rechtsextreme mauerten vor Dragqueen-Lesung Eingang zu Bücherei zu – derStandard.at).
Another story hour event at the “Türkis-Rosa-Lila-Villa” – a major queer community centre in Vienna – was faced with even greater attacks in April 2023.
The accusations of „sexualising propaganda“, „child abuse“, „early sexualisation“, „paedophilia“ serve to stir up prejudices under the pretext of wanting to „protect children or young people“.
„The children’s book readings are not about sexuality for a second, but about teaching tolerance and diversity. Last year, for example, the reading featured the story of Julian, who loves mermaids so much that he would like to be one himself. Julian sees women in mermaid costumes on the subway on his way home and wants to dress up as one at home. Julian has a grandma who accepts him for who he is.“ (see article Far-right demo against children’s book reading by a drag queen – derStandard.at).
„In 2015, queer feminist author Michelle Tea launched Drag Story Hour in partnership with Radar Productions. The goal is to get kids excited about reading and to create spaces that foster pleasure in books and stories about diversity in libraries, especially in cooperation with often excluded groups of the trans, queer of colour community. Here, drag as an art form creates the opportunity to counter rigid gender expectations. Children have a natural, open approach to the world around them until they themselves are confronted with the societal pressure to conform to cis-heteronormative ideas. Drag Story Hour creates a time-out from these pressures for all children and adults, and allows us to dream of a world without ridiculous patriarchal notions.“ (see post Queer Base – Welcome and Support for LGBTIQ Refugees | Vienna | Facebook)
A very good classification on the topic of „child protection“ is offered by the following interview in the „Standard“: Dragqueen events: „In the worst case the little boy might try on a dress afterwards“.
We want to pick up this issue in our fundraisers and thereby take a stand in solidarity with and support of the queer community (especially drag artists) as well as against discrimination, exclusion and hate.
The net proceeds of our charity will go to Rechtskomitee Lambda:
Rechtskomitee Lambda offers free legal advice on all issues related to lesbian, gay, transgender and intersex life (partnership, inheritance and housing, criminal law, labour law, legal issues related to HIV and AIDS, etc.).
It works to end all discrimination against same-sex relationships, transgender and intersex people in all areas of law through
- Reviewing the current legal system with regard to existing discrimination
- Making this discrimination and unequal treatments public
- Working for a change of the corresponding laws and judicature
- Ensuring the effective enforcement of rights that have already been achieved
- Defense against attacks on our rights
