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Queens councilmember calls drag queen story hours in schools 'grooming'
Spectrum News NY1 ^ | Joseph Konig

Posted on 06/16/2022 6:00:05 PM PDT by Steely Tom

Queens Councilmember Vickie Paladino drew criticism from her City Council colleagues after labeling drag queen events at city schools “degeneracy” and accusing progressives of having “no problem with child grooming and sexualization” in a series of tweets Monday.

“Progressives may have no problem with child grooming and sexualization, but I do,” Paladino tweeted. “This will not happen on my watch. Kids deserve a quality education free from political manipulation and sexual content.”

The tweets came in response to a New York Post article that reported the city had spent over $200,000 on performances by the group Drag Queen Story Hour NYC. The nonprofit puts on “fabulous education experiences for children and teens” in libraries, schools, museums, and other community spaces, according to its website. These events include storytelling programs and book discussions in English, Spanish, and Cantonese.

The city Department of Education defended their partnership with Drag Queen Story Hour NYC, pointing to murders of LGBTQ people as evidence of the need for programming that destigmatizes LGBTQ existence.

“Last year, 50 transgender or gender-nonconforming people were killed in the United States due to their identity, and we believe our schools play a critical role in helping young people learn about and respect people who may be different from them. This is life saving and affirming work,” DOE spokesperson Nathaniel Styer said in a statement, adding the city school system was proud to partner with the nonprofit. “We support our young people and are committed to providing safe, nurturing, and inclusive environments for all students and staff.”

On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams in a statement admonished the councilwoman for her comments.

"At a time when our LGBTQ+ communities are under increased attack across this country, we must use our education system to educate,” the mayor said. “The goal is not only for our children to be academically smart, but also emotionally intelligent. Drag storytellers, and the libraries and schools that support them, are advancing a love of diversity, personal expression, and literacy that is core to what our city embraces."

Democrats on the council condemned the Queens Republican’s remarks.

“Any form of hate, including transphobia, has no place in this city, and certainly not in this Council," Speaker Adrienne Adams said in a statement. "The Council is looking into what further action may be warranted.”

“I condemn the bigoted remarks made by @vickiefornyc regarding @DQSHTweets, a cultural organization that serves our City’s youth. NYC is a safe haven where our queer community is welcomed and loved,” tweeted Brooklyn Councilmember Chi Ossé, the chair of the council’s Cultural Affairs Committee. “There is no room for hate in NYC, especially in the Council. CM Paladino must be held accountable for her comments.”

“Boy, they REALLY want to expose your kids to drag queens for some reason. Fortunately I answer only to the people of my district,” Paladino responded, inviting Ossé to visit her district to talk with parents and teachers. “Because what I have heard from MY constituents is that they have had enough of progressive radicalism and gender confusion in the classroom. And their concerns are valid, not bigoted.”

She then doubled down, calling drag shows in schools and progressive gender views “grooming behaviors.”

The use of “grooming” to describe LGBTQ people and their behavior is becoming common parlance among right-wing politicians who favor restrictions on public schools’ teachings on sexual orientation and gender identity. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a proponent of legislation regulating instruction in this area — most notably with what opponents have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law — and drew protests from activists and LGBTQ politicians ahead of a speech he gave Sunday in New York City.

DeSantis has not used the term “grooming” specifically, but has said opponents of the efforts “support sexualizing kids in kindergarten” and his press secretary said the bill would be more accurately described as an “Anti-Grooming Bill.”

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino went to a Westchester County high school Wednesday to criticize a sex-ed class he labeled “inappropriate, vulgar, & criminal.”

And the New York Young Republican Club defended Paladino’s remarks, saying she was protecting children from “grooming.”

“Actually, @VickieforNYC is compassionate, serious, and morally correct in protecting children from grooming,” the group tweeted in response to Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell’s criticism of Paladino. “You should reevaluate your position and put children first, not adult males with a dress-up obsession.”

Fellow Queens Councilmember Tiffany Cabán said Paladino’s comments could lead to violence against LGBTQ people.

“Drag Story Hour NYC shows young, queer NYers that they’re valid, that they truly belong,” Cabán tweeted. “Here’s a colleague likening it to child abuse, at a time when this “groomer” rhetoric is fueling a wave of violence against queer folks."

“People want to talk about hate violence? Drag Story Hour NYC is how we reduce hate violence, not more policing. It’s public safety infrastructure,” she added.

The Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, a large LGBTQ political club, said Paladino’s remarks could lead to violence like a recent attack on a San Francisco Drag Queen Story Hour event by a group of men now being investigated for a hate crime.

"Be certain, this one term Councilmember doesn’t care about kids,” the club tweeted. “She cares about parroting her party’s homophobia and getting headlines.”

Paladino is no stranger to controversy. In January, she refused to disclose her vaccination status to the council, comparing the requirement to Nazi Germany in an interview with NY1, which she later apologized for.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: dragqueengroomers; dragqueenstoryhour; groomer; grooming; homosexualagenda; josephkonig; lgbfjb; newyork; newyorkcity; queens; vickiepaladino
Someone to keep an eye on.
1 posted on 06/16/2022 6:00:05 PM PDT by Steely Tom
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To: Steely Tom
"At a time when our LGBTQ+ communities are under increased attack across this country,

Sounds like a burglar complaining that people are putting in alarm systems and hiring security guards.

2 posted on 06/16/2022 6:02:21 PM PDT by IYAS9YAS (There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.)
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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Just $479.00 dollars to 79%.

3 posted on 06/16/2022 6:03:06 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (I pledge allegiance the flag of the U S of A, and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands.)
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To: Steely Tom
If the NY State AG has time away from trying to put DJT in prison she'll prosecute this woman for a hate crime.
4 posted on 06/16/2022 6:03:56 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Ballots)
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To: Steely Tom

What else could you call it?


5 posted on 06/16/2022 6:04:02 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Steely Tom

“Drag Story Hour NYC shows young, queer NYers that they’re valid, that they truly belong,...”

OK. So nobody else needs to be there.
Make that a stipulation and move on.
Let the queens read to a nearly empty room.


6 posted on 06/16/2022 6:05:28 PM PDT by HKMk23 (https://youtu.be/LTseTg48568)
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To: Steely Tom

How about calling it “queering.”


7 posted on 06/16/2022 6:05:51 PM PDT by Theophilous Meatyard III
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To: Gay State Conservative

I really hope the progressives keep this up as a campaign strategy. It’s great, go for it groomers push, push, push and don’t stop. You are wining, you are smart and people like you.


8 posted on 06/16/2022 6:15:00 PM PDT by usurper
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To: Steely Tom

50 transgender or gender-nonconforming people were killed in the United States due to their identity

suicides?


9 posted on 06/16/2022 6:15:45 PM PDT by Jolla
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To: Steely Tom

“ Queens Councilmember Vickie Paladino drew criticism from her City Council colleagues after labeling drag queen events at city schools “degeneracy” and accusing progressives of having “no problem with child grooming”

Where’s the lie?


10 posted on 06/16/2022 6:17:01 PM PDT by Jim Noble (I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains)
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To: Steely Tom

I have seen as others have, videos of these ‘drag queens’ wearing clothes so short or designed with their butts exposed touching their so called breasts and kindergarten aged kids watching with money given to them to give to these creeps like it’s a stripper show.

It’s not just grooming. These creeps are getting off on this.


11 posted on 06/16/2022 6:30:28 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: Steely Tom
C56-CB5-B9-AF26-4-D9-D-B0-C8-DA40-CD46-C953
12 posted on 06/16/2022 6:30:47 PM PDT by Born in 1950 (Anti left, nothing else.)
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To: IYAS9YAS

This is their typical tactic. Any criticism of their agenda is “inciting violence and murder”.


13 posted on 06/16/2022 6:43:20 PM PDT by rbg81
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To: Steely Tom


14 posted on 06/16/2022 6:45:51 PM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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To: Steely Tom

A silver lining


15 posted on 06/16/2022 6:47:30 PM PDT by Ge0ffrey
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To: Steely Tom

Where did Clown Vickie come from; some rock in Queens?


16 posted on 06/16/2022 6:56:59 PM PDT by chopperk
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To: chopperk

I’m thinking you got this wrong?

“ Vickie Paladino drew criticism from her City Council colleagues after labeling drag queen events at city schools “degeneracy” and accusing progressives of having “no problem with child grooming and sexualization” “


17 posted on 06/16/2022 7:04:44 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: Steely Tom

“Predation” is a more appropriate term.


18 posted on 06/16/2022 7:05:04 PM PDT by G Larry (Anybody notice that Satan is hard at work?)
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To: Steely Tom

It takes someone from Queens to tell the truth. Manhattan wants nothing to do with sanity.


19 posted on 06/16/2022 7:15:11 PM PDT by packagingguy
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To: chopperk

HUH???

She’s absolutely right - this IS grooming.

(But I don’t understand the point of having these people in schools - when I was a kid, those ‘drag queens’ would have scared the heck out of me!)


20 posted on 06/16/2022 7:23:00 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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