Drag Queen Barbada's Storytelling Event to Kids Cancelled in Montreal Due to Hate Mail, Threats

drag queen drag queen story hour Barbada De Barbades Saint Laurent Dorval Performance Story Hour lgbtq

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Jul 10, 02:05 pm

Montreal has canceled the upcoming story event for children at its local library which was supposedly led by Barbada De Barbades.

Sébastien Potvin or also known by the stage name, Barbada, has been reading uplifting stories to kids across Quebec for approximately about five years.

The story's main purpose is to send a message to kids that it's okay to be different and there's nothing with it.

Barbada stated that this is the first time in Quebec that an event she is paid to do has been canceled in such a way.

She said she would be beyond happy to perform the story hour for council, if needed, she will read "The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water" by Gemma Merino.

The story is mainly about a crocodile who fears water but gets coaxed into swimming. Finally, the crocodile tries one last time to swim, almost drown himself, and later sneezes and breathes fire - discovering it may not actually be a crocodile after all.

"It's about feeling different, not really understanding why you're different, but eventually finding your true self and getting to understand it's OK to be different," Barbada said on CBC .

Still No Response From The Council

Barbada has been a drag queen performer for 17 years. She hosts conferences, family shows, and other events for a range of audiences and she has never run into this kind of pushback before.

Barbara said that there was no one from the council offering to discuss the matter.

Despite being shocked by the sudden cancelation, Barbada believes that it is an isolated incident considering that she has been getting support online and approximately three new events were booked right after the local media chose the story regarding Saint-Laurent's sudden about-face.

Supposedly, the event in Saint-Laurent was scheduled for early November, Barbada anticipates that once officials witness the buzz this has created, they will change their minds and will permit the story hour to go as planned, per News of Canada .

Barbada added that she is totally shocked about the cancelation as she has a Kid's TV Show and is a Music Teacher.

Performance Cancelation Affected By Complaints

The event's cancelation happened due to the wave of complaints received in early June in the town of Dorval in Montreal's West Island as the library was introduced, hosting a narrative hour with Barbada.

"We received hate mail. We received threats. You name it - we received it," said Sébastien Gauthier, a Dorval spokesperson.

The events across Canada which are family-friendly drag events commonly hosted by municipal libraries have been the target of hateful comments and threats especially during Pride month, prompting multiple police investigations and revived or renewed concerns primarily about the safety of the LGBTQ community.

According to Bay St. Post , Drag Story Hour Occassions commonly occur in many libraries within the nation and usually feature a performer in drag reading children's book about inclusion. Such events are prompted by solely minor controversy up until now, however, amid a surge in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies in the US, the all-ages drag events have turned into factors of anger in Canada.