MEDIA ADVISORY

Orange County Family Action PAC and Advocates for Faith & Freedom, Santa Ana Join Community in Press Conference to Oppose Drag Queen Storytime and LGBTQ+ Youth Fair at Santa Ana Library

Contact: Desaré Ferraro, 714-348-0808 (weekdays, evenings & weekends)

SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 24, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Saturday, February 24, 2018 at 11:00 AM, pastors and other pro-family organizations will join Santa Ana church and community leaders at the front entrance to the Santa Ana Public Library (W. Civic Center Drive), 26 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA, to hold a press conference in opposition to the library's special event, Forest of the Enchanted Drag Queens: All Ages Storytime and LGBTQ+ Youth Resource Fair.

The first of its kind to be held in Orange County, two local drag performers, Kunda Couture and Isabella Xochitl, will read stories to children of all ages in both English and Spanish. Funded through a library grant from the state, this free event takes place at noon the same day as the press conference. 

As advertised in both languages, "The drag performers will answer questions about the importance of educating the community about LGBTQ+ and drag culture. The LGBTQ+ Youth Resource Fair will also feature special drag queen-inspired crafts." The City's director over parks and recreation states that the drag performers "will be reading/performing children's books that focus on topics of kindness, tolerance and compassion, universal themes that resonate with all ages."

Upon hearing of the children's event, local church and community leaders shared several concerns with library officials including the sexual nature represented by drag queens in today's culture and the concern that the presentation will be inappropriate for children. Furthermore, the drag queen event is offensive to a vast majority of religious groups (Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Evangelical Christians, Mormons, Catholics) who also feel that the public library should be a safe place for all children.

Despite efforts made to ask the library to cancel or postpone this event until a community discussion about the issue can take place in a more thorough manner with all aspects of the city, including clergy, library staff, city officials, homeless advocates, LGBTQ advocates, and parents and doctors, the library insists on going ahead with the Drag Queen Storytime event.
 
Star Parker, Founder and President of Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), and Orange County resident shared, "Under the guise of 'celebrating diversity' the library is promoting a lifestyle without providing scientific data of the dangers of transgenderism. Santa Ana families do not want their kids to be unknowingly exposed to these issues."

Kim Bengard, president of the Family Action PAC asks, "Why would the state grant money to Santa Ana Public Library for drag queens to talk to children about kindness, compassion and tolerance?  Why not invite a member of the clergy, city council member, firefighter or police officer to talk about those things? A man dressed as a woman sends a confusing message about healthy sexuality.  We want to protect our children from exposure to adult topics not use them to advance agendas."
 
When asked why he disapproves of the drag queen event, Bishop Gale Oliver, Greater Light Family Church, Santa Ana, said, "Some topics are too mature and overwhelming for a child that is still operating in its stage of innocence. Let's allow our children to be children and not burden them with adult matters."

Pastor Refugio Sanchez, Santa Ana Free Methodist Church explains it this way, "Because we don't need someone else to teach our children in the wrong way of creation, we will stand and teach them according to our morals and bible values."

Community leaders are also concerned with where this genderless movement is heading. Advocates for Faith & Freedom's constitutional attorney Robert Tyler warns, "Eliminating gender norms has led to the confusion we now see in Delaware where the Board of Education has proposed a new regulation that will not only allow students to choose their own gender, but also their own race. This 'anything-goes mentality' turns civil rights laws on their head.  A white student will soon be able to apply for scholarships designated for minority students simply by claiming to be a different race."

Here is a link to the Santa Ana website advertising the drag queen event: 
newsantaana.com/2018/02/08/drag-queens-storytime-and-lgbtq-youth-fair-set-for-2-24-at-the-santa-ana-library/.
 
Family Action PAC based in Orange County is a California organization that supports qualified leaders who will advance a culture in which human life and family are valued, personal responsibility is encouraged and liberty thrives.
 
Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a non-profit law firm that engages in cases that uphold religious liberty and America's heritage and educates Americans about our fundamental constitutional rights. www.faith-freedom.com