Posted on 03/23/2024 11:15:47 AM PDT by lightman
A Drag Queen Story Hour event at Lancaster Public Library that sparked both protests and an outpouring of support has been canceled after a suspicious package was discovered nearby.
"We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, the Lancaster Pride event: Drag Story Hour with Miss Amie in collaboration with the Lancaster Public Library has been canceled," the LGBTQ+ group stated on social media. "The safety and well-being of our community are of utmost importance to us. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding."
Lancaster Pride Director Tiffany Shirley said around 9 a.m. Lancaster City Police conducted a security check of Lancaster Public Library. Around 9:45, police found “a suspicious package and evacuated everybody immediately.”
Lissa Holland, the library's executive director, said the package was delivered to the building on Friday. This morning, around 9 a.m., a Lancaster city police K-9 dog alerted to the package during a security sweep. Police then evacuated the building.
Shirley and about 11 public library staff evacuated to Binns Park across the street, she said. They eventually found shelter at a nearby place of business.
“We just gathered everybody together. Made sure everybody was safe. Made sure Miss Amie was safe.”
Miss Amie is the performance name for Christopher Paolini, the drag artist scheduled to perform Saturday.
Shirley said the library made the decision to cancel the event to make sure nobody was at risk.
“It just breaks my heart that we were trying to make a safe, fun event for our children, and because people disagree and don’t think we should exist, had to ruin it for everybody,” Shirley said. Live updates: Police evacuating areas of Lancaster city following bomb threats Local News Live updates: Police evacuating areas of Lancaster city following bomb threats
Holland said she felt “really sad, very disappointed and angry, that leaders of this county turned this into saving the children from the library and we are having to cancel this event because of safety threats.”
Though the library did not make the decision to cancel Saturday's event, Holland said it was the right call during a brief interview under the overhang outside the Starbucks at 101 N. Queen St. to escape the rain.
“Absolutely. It's safety first, for everybody involved, For our storyteller, for the staff — and most important for the children that were going to be here and the families. I am saddened to the core” that the event had to be canceled, Holland said.
Joshua Schwartz, president of Lancaster Public Library’s board of trustees, standing at Holland's side, said he had mixed emotions.
“I'm proud to be part of an organization that strives to be open to all parts of the community and especially marginalized parts of the community, and serve everyone in Lancaster,” Schwartz said. “I'm incredibly sad that we're unable to fulfill our mission today because of people who decided to politicize this storytime event, and obviously some people got into such an emotional frenzy that we can no longer hold something that is safe and welcoming and inclusive.”
no doubt all of these distressed, broken-hearted folks are perfectly fine with conservative speakers & events being cancelled because of threats of violence and “protests”
Definitely. And the parents should also be charged for child endangerment.
When we travel from Northampton County to the Lancaster area, we go to SIGHT AND SOUND.
After that we go to Yoders or Shady Maple.
Once we took an AMISH tour and went to American Music Theater.
We don’t go near the downtown of Lancaster.
Don’t understand why they want story hours like this or why they want to be a sanctuary city.
I don’t go into the city either. The city is liberal, as well as its daily rag the LNP. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is a false flag.
[I suspect a false flag ... until proven otherwise.]
Could be.
Hopefully not actual terrorism.
Not only is it illegal and just plain wrong, it allows them to play the sympathy card.
[Lancaster County Commissioners ]”D’Agostino and Parsons posted their reactions to the threats Saturday on Facebook.
‘The threats that led to the cancellation of the event at the Lancaster Public Library this afternoon are deeply distressing and have no place in our community. Whoever is responsible and regardless of their motive for the terroristic threats, must be identified, apprehended, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,’ D’Agostino wrote.
In his post, Parsons wrote: ‘It is my hope and expectation that the perpetrators will be quickly caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This is true regardless of whether they actually oppose the Drag Queen Story Hour or they support it and are seeking to create outrage against those who oppose it. The consequences should be the same and extremely serious. Threats of violence have no place in our debates.’”
The first item of consideration is that it should not be the public and taxpayers paying for this politicized agenda. If this left-wing group wants to pay and fund it let them.
But never forget that it is the left that hates conservative free speech and will do everything and anything and come from far and wide to shut down conservative free speech. So no we do not accept double standards.
It’s difficult to tell the difference between The Babylon Bee and Not the Bee nowadays. We live in clown world.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.