Glebe school cancels Pride month drag queen storytime event

An Ottawa school has cancelled a planned drag queen storytime event after parental pushback. CTV’s Katie Griffin reports.

An Ottawa elementary school says it will not be moving forward with a planned drag queen storytime event in observance of Pride Month due to “questions about curricular alignment.”

In an email to parents obtained by CTV News Ottawa, principal Sandy Miller and vice-principal Marc Laliberté of Mutchmor Public Elementary School say the presentation scheduled for June 19 was “intended to promote literacy and themes of equity, diversity and visibility in a unique and memorable way.”

The school added it remains committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students.

“We continue to support and direct our efforts to integrate the core themes of acceptance, diversity, and belonging directly into our daily practice and reinforce these values consistently throughout the school year in alignment with the Ontario Curriculum,” the letter said.

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Another email sent to parents earlier in the month said the school would be welcoming Adrianna Exposée, the second time the drag performer has participated in a similar event at the school.

“Drag storytime is not a theatrical performance,” the letter sent on June 1 letter read.

“In each storytime session, Ms. Exposée will read aloud an age-appropriate picture book chosen by your child’s teacher that focuses on love and celebrating our differences. The goal is to foster a love of reading through acceptance in a unique and engaging way.”

In an email, Exposée confirmed she had participated in similar events at Mutchmor and other Ottawa schools. Exposée says the cancellation was due to parental pushback, but didn’t provide more details.

Fae Johnstone, executive director of Queer Momentum, says drag can be a good way for students to learn about inclusion.

“I think it’s simply disappointing. You know, kids deserve to learn about inclusion, about different families and what better way to do so than with an incredible entertainer,” Johnstone said.

“Parents who are concerned deserve to be heard and I actually think if we were to have a conversation with those parents, if they would actually meet a drag performer and see the really lovely energy that comes out of these events, I imagine they might actually feel differently.”

Mutchmor is located in Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood and enrolls over 400 students from junior kindergarten to Grade 6.

The school is part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). CTV News Ottawa reached out to the board for comment, but did not receive a response.

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The board’s website says all schools are encouraged to participate in Pride Month, but notes activities will differ from school to school. All OCDSB buildings and schools are flying the Pride flag this month.

A drag queen is a performer, usually a man, known to dress up in bright makeup and colourful costumes while playing with gender roles and cultural stereotypes. Drag queens are largely tied to LGBTQ culture and is a prominent feature of many Pride events.

Similar storytime events have received pushback from anti-LGBTQ groups and some parents who believe they are not age appropriate.

A drag storytime at the National Arts Centre in 2023 brought out hundreds of protesters and counterprotesters.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Katie Griffin