A Melbourne council has cancelled a drag storytime event, citing threats of violence against staff, families and a performer.
Activists protested the Monash City Council event, which was intended to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, at a council meeting last week.
Victoria Police has since briefed the council about safety risks, prompting the drag storytime event for Oakleigh Library on May 18 to be cancelled, Monash chief executive Andi Diamond announced on Thursday.
She said repeated threats of violence and intimidation were levelled at councillors, staff, families booked to attend the event and the performer in the lead-up to the “incredibly disappointing” decision.
“This event has attracted significant attention, with hateful and threatening commentary and misinformation spread online, via email and directly over the phone,” Dr Diamond said.
“Councillors and staff have received messages that nobody should be expected to receive in their workplace, as have our LGBTIQA+ community.
“In recent days these threats have escalated to direct threats of violence involving the event itself.”
The drag storytime event was designed to introduce children to diverse role models and to encourage acceptance, love and respect for the LGBTIQA+ community, Dr Diamond said.
She said the council understood the event was not for everyone and had scheduled it outside of regular library programs in acknowledgement of that so parents had to make a deliberate choice to attend.
“Unfortunately, some in the community were not willing to allow that choice,” Dr Diamond said.
“In the end we were unable to guarantee that we would be able to hold the event safely.”
She apologised to the LGBTIQA+ community for having to cancel the event and stressed the council did not take the decision lightly.
In question time on Thursday, Premier Daniel Andrews derided last week’s protest action as “shameful”, and said death threats against the council were a disgrace.
“(These events) are about sending a message to … people in our Victorian community that they are loved, they are respected, they are safe and they are supported by the government and their community,” Mr Andrews said.
He said equality was non-negotiable and protesters’ hateful views were worth nothing in Victoria.
Source: AAP
