Melbourne’s Monash City Council has announced it’s been forced to cancel an upcoming Drag Storytime event due to violent threats being levelled at councilors, staff and families planning to attend the event.
The sold-out event was part of the council’s plans to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia.
Last week there was a stand-off between members of the LGBTIQA+ communities, police and far-right protesters at a council meeting. While the council had initially stood by the sold-out event, today they announced they’d been forced to cancel it following advice from Victorian Police.
“This event has attracted significant attention with hateful and threatening commentary and misinformation spread online, via email and directly over the phone. It is incredibly disappointing to have to cancel an event designed to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia but we were left with no choice after Victoria Police advised Council of the risks associated with holding the event.” Monash CEO Dr Andi 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.
“Our drag storytime event was designed to introduce children to diverse role models and encourage acceptance, love, and respect of our LGBTIQA+ community. It is so disappointing that some people have a long way to go before this is achieved.
“We understood this was not for everyone and scheduled it outside our regular library programs so that parents planning to bring their children were making a deliberate choice to attend. Unfortunately, some in the community were not willing to allow that choice. In the end we were unable to guarantee that we would be able to hold the event safely.
“I apologise to our LGBTIQA+ community for this outcome. I hope they understand we did not make this decision lightly and we share their disappointment; Council remains committed to delivering on the outcomes and goals of our recently endorsed LGBTIQA+ Action Plan.” Dr Diamond said.
Last week’s council meeting saw a clash between protesters with those opposed to the event accusing councilors of being “pedophiles”. Rights activist Gregory Storer who attended the event told OUTinPerth the scene was quite intimidating.
“The vile language and rhetoric being used was offensive and quite intimidating,” Storer said.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews says attacks on the event are an “exercise in hate speech”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews slammed the people who had threatened to attack the families attending the event.
“I don’t know how many of these protesters, with not an exercise in free speech but an exercise in hate speech, bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia – the list goes on,” Andrew told Victoria’s parliament on Thursday.
“Ugly scenes, ugly scenes on any measure, including death threats against council officers and councillors. It is a disgrace. It is a disgrace. It’s shameful.
“And my message to those people is very clear: if you want to behave like the worst elements of the Florida Republican Party, well get to Florida. Get over there, where your hateful views might be worth something. They’re worth nothing here. We won’t stand for that ugly behaviour here. It’s appalling.”
The US state of Florida has been a battleground for transgender rights with conservative Governor Ron DeSantis bringing in laws that ban LGBTIQA+ information being presented in the state’s schools.
WA Liberal party president Caroline Di Russo says council should “stick to their knitting”
Caroline Di Russo, the President of the Western Australian Liberal party has shared her thoughts on the controversy saying the council “should stick to their knitting”.
The phrase about knitting was popularised by now federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton when he voiced his opposition to Australian businesses showing their support for marriage equality. Di Russo said the Victorian Premier had a habit of making issues bigger than they really were.
“While isn’t Daniel Andrews telling the local councils in Melbourne to stick to their knitting?” Di Russo said during an appearance on Sky News on Thursday night. “Maybe if they’d stick to their knitting, we wouldn’t have had this problem in the first place.”
Di Russo said it was never acceptable to threaten violence, but the situation could have been avoided if the council had not programed the event for the LGBTIQA+ communities in the first place.
Perth radio host Oliver Peterson, who was appearing alongside Di Russo, said councils needed to stick to “roads, rates and rubbish.”
“I’m glad that this has been cancelled.” Peterson told host Chris Kenny. “We’ve got to put in context and we’re talking about kids turning up to storytime, and as the father of a four-year-old, I don’t want to see ugly protesters there for whatever event it’s going to be.”
“If these sorts of events want to be held, let the groups who want to advocate for these sorts of activities – they can hold those events.” the 6PR Radio host said.
OIP Staff
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