Madison Heights, Michigan's city council voted 4-3 on Monday to cancel a drag queen story time scheduled for the city's Arts & Pride festival, delivering the decision less than a week before the event was set to take place at Civic Center Park.

The last-minute reversal

Jadein Black, the drag performer who was to host the story time, had already been thoroughly vetted by both the festival's planning committee and the Madison Heights Arts Board. Her book selection and costume were pre-approved through the standard review process. The council convened a special meeting solely to debate whether drag programming belonged at a public, family-oriented event—a discussion that surprised community advocates who had worked through established channels to include the performance.

Councilwoman Toya Aaron, who voted to cancel, claimed the council was unaware of the performer's content and therefore couldn't guarantee it would be family-friendly. That explanation contradicted the fact that materials had already been reviewed and signed off by two city boards.

Community pushback

Former City Councilman Mark Bliss, who founded the Madison Heights Arts Board, called the move a dangerous precedent. "What they're telling me with this ruling is, yeah, you could run a concert in the park, but not this band, we have an issue with this band," he said, criticizing the lack of public notice and discussion with affected boards.

Rae Stoloff, a volunteer with the festival, compared drag story time to other family entertainment. "You have a magician that performs one way for kids and one way for adults," Stoloff explained. "Hearing from our elected officials, it almost takes on its own home within us of hearing we are also a danger, or we aren't appropriate to be around kids."

Moving forward

Black responded to the cancellation by seeking an alternative venue to host the event on the originally scheduled date. In a statement, she pushed back against a common criticism: "Let me be clear: Drag performers are not groomers. We are educators, neighbors, friends, community members, and human beings. We show up to create spaces where children can learn about kindness, literacy, acceptance, and self-expression."

Source: LGBTQ Nation

Cover photo: Din / Pexels

arts-and-culture

Michigan city cancels drag story time at Pride festival, citing last-minute concerns