A drag queen centre stage at storytime will not be everyone’s cup of tea when walking into Wollongong Library, but the manager doesn’t care.
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In a first for the city, Roxee Horror (Adam Larkham’s alter ego) will entertain during Drag Storytime, an inclusive event for all family make-ups across the region on July 21.
“The central library is a pretty big place, and our community and our world is a big place and there is space for everybody,” Jenny Thompson said.
“We offer a range of different events for all different parts of the community and this is, I guess, part of our community we haven’t done that overtly for before.
“So it’s important to us that we’re getting with the program.”
Drag Storytime and The 78ers – a separate event involving activists from Sydney’s first Mardis Gras – are part of the Library’s contribution to the Queer Arts Festival, Thompson said.
The 78ers will be a discussion panel on Wednesday July 18 centred around the original gay liberation protests in 1978 Sydney which has evolved into the annual Mardi Gras parade we see today.
Ken Davis will be sharing his personal experiences as a co-convenor of the “peaceful” protests which turned violently ugly.
“Older people will remember Australia was in some ways not a very tolerant society, there wasn’t a lot of freedom,” Davis said.
“But for younger people, it’s hard to understand things like social issues, gay and lesbian freedom, abortion – these freedoms people have now – they exist because of struggles from the past.”
More details on the Queer Arts Festival are at www.facebook.com/wollongongqueerartsfest/
Wednesday 18 July – 78ers Talk @ Wollongong Library 7pm
The veterans from Mardi Gras 1978 are the heroes who fought for us in a time harder than the one we exist in now.
The 78ers talk is a bookings essential event and is an opportunity to listen to and engage with people as they discuss the social and political context of the 1978 Mardi Gras and its long term impacts.
Sat 21 July – Drag Story Time @Wollongong Library 10am
Drag Story time is an all-ages, family friendly event hosted by Wollongong Library and special Guest Miss Roxee who will be engaging children and guests in story time, singing and special craft!