Penguin Random House, one of the largest publishers in the country, has recently come under fire for its partnership with Drag Story Hour, an organization that hosts story hours for children led by drag queens. While the partnership with Drag Story Hour was previously announced in 2019 to produce a Literary Drag Show, the latest controversy arose after the organization posted a video on Instagram, showcasing books the publisher had given for its Indigenous Story Hour.
According to the video, Penguin Random House gave Drag Story Hour books for their Indigenous Story Hour. The video showcases several titles, including “Bodies Are Cool” by Tyler Feder and “Finding My Dance” by Ria Thundercloud.
The book “Bodies Are Cool” features artwork that displays people of differing sizes and shapes, as well as biological women who have had mastectomy scars from top surgery, and now dress and style themselves in a masculine way. The book encourages self-love and body positivity of all shapes and sizes.
“Finding My Dance” is an autobiographical tale that follows the Native American professional dancer Ria Thundercloud, as she discovers her passion for dance and makes a career out of it.
While the partnership between Penguin Random House and Drag Story Hour is controversial, the publisher has previously partnered with the organization, as previously mentioned in 2019 with the Literary Drag Show collaboration.
This latest controversy highlights the ongoing debate about the appropriateness of exposing children to drag queens as role models and story hour guides. Many parents and community groups have spoken out against such events, citing concerns about the potential exposure of young children to sexually explicit content.
Penguin Random House has yet to make a statement regarding the controversy surrounding its partnership with Drag Story Hour and the book donations for their Indigenous Story Hour. However, the publisher will undoubtedly face criticism and scrutiny regarding its decision to partner with the organization, given the ongoing debate around the suitability of such events for young children.