MONTGOMERY- A drag queen story hour event scheduled for this Saturday, April 1st has generated substantial controversy and has police in Montgomery making preparations for a protest they believe will be taking place in response to the event.
The Montgomery Book Exchange Children’s Chapter is scheduled to host “Cookie Doe,” a drag performer for a story-time event for children. In response to the ticketed event, which is reported to be sold out, many took to social media in opposition, pledging to publicly protest.
The Orange County Young Republicans and the Orange County Teen Republicans released a joint statement, which read in part, “We cannot say this more sternly: we oppose the sexualization of children and those who condone it. Anything drag is inherently sexual content, which is why these events typically occur at bars and other adult establishments for those over the age of 18 or 21 – not local children’s libraries.”
Michael Vogt, who performs as “Cookie Doe” has come under additional scrutiny in response to a since-deleted social media post in which he performed an explicit sexual act on a bar of soap in the shape of a penis.
“This is direct evidence of Michael Vogt’s true motives, and it begs the questions: why does Michael Vogt need to fool children by dressing up as a woman in order to read to them, and why would MBE “Children’s” Chapter expose local children to this person and his inappropriate behavior,” questioned the Young Republicans.
Mid-Hudson News contacted the Montgomery Book Exchange Children’s Chapter to ask about how this, and other performers are selected. A representative of the book exchange declined to comment further at this time.
The MBE Book Exchange FaceBook page has a post that reads, “Hello all this is Claire. While I didn’t anticipate such a large response to this beautiful event. I am grateful dialogue has been open all day. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, I feel it is really getting unkind. That is not what we are looking to accomplish so I have turned off commenting for now. Please take note that we would never force anyone to come to something you are not comfortable with. This event is truly about sharing positive stories by an amazing human. Be well, all.”
Police in both the Village and Town of Montgomery are anticipating a day of tension in the village surrounding the event, and in advance of anticipated protests, released a joint statement. “If you do not have a ticket for this event, you will be required to leave the private property areas and find an area that is open to the public. The police department has signed authority forms from the private property owners surrounding the business where this event is taking place, allowing only persons with tickets to remain on any of the private property locations. Willful failure to leave upon request will result in your immediate arrest for trespassing,” read the statement. “We want to stress the importance of respecting the privacy and safety of those attending this event, as well as abiding by the laws and regulations in place. We urge you to act responsibly and with respect towards all members of the community.”
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