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Drag Queen "Over the Rainbow" Story Hour at SJPL

Drag Queen Talon Marks reading a story

Meet Our Drag Queen Host,

Talon Marks!

"Adventure and excitement; new places, people, and ideas. Books have it all! I hope you can join me at the library to share some of my favorite stories and songs with you. Bring a friend!" - Talon Marks

Talon Marks has completed storytime training with the Early Education unit. His teaching background made him a natural storyteller. Check-out his Wee Share Stories video done in one take!

Celebrate Pride with Us

What do Drag Queens and young children have in common? They both love to dress up in creative fashions and use their imaginations to fully explore their world and their identity. This summer, we’ll be celebrating Pride in our diverse and unique community by looking Over the Rainbow with Drag Queen storytimes at King Library, in partnership with Silicon Valley Pride.

Drag Queen storytime is a family-friendly way of recognizing the multiple layers that make us who we are.Our featured Drag Queen, Talon Marks, will kick-off our newest story hour program, dressed in full glamorous glory, possibly with glitter, to share age appropriate stories and songs with children and families of all ages. Stories will highlight inclusion, diversity and friendship. There will also be an opportunity for children to ask questions and learn more about Talon after the storytime.

Read More

Neither by Airlie AndersonWorm Loves Worm by Jj AustrianPrince and Knight by Daniel HaackThis Day in June by Gayle e. Pitman You're Wearing That to School? by Lynn PlourdeTeddy's Favorite Toy by Christian TrimmerIt's Okay to be Different by Todd ParrBe a Friend by Salina Yoon

Learn More

Upcoming Events

Drag Queen with storybooks

Drag Queen Storytime: Over the Rainbow

  Jul 21 2018 - 11:00am
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
Drag queen with a storybook

Drag Queen Storytime: Over the Rainbow

  Aug 18 2018 - 11:00am
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
drag queen with a storybook

Drag Queen Storytime: Over the Rainbow

  Sep 15 2018 - 11:00am
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
Submitted by Nari Ferderer on Friday, June 29, 2018 - 7:00 AM.

Comments

Submitted by miguel Delgadillo on Fri, 07/06/2018 - 3:24pm
I am completely against this. Young children are impressionable and should not be exposed to such perverse ideas. If I had know about this earlier I would have taken action to protest this. I do not want this to occur in any public library.

Submitted by Nick Friedman on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 6:41pm
Stop being so close minded and spreading your bigotry. If you don't like this event, don't attend.

Submitted by Peter on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 10:14pm
You probably can protest it, but you could also spend your time doing something else.

Submitted by Public space is... on Tue, 07/10/2018 - 12:35pm
It is a public library and as such is a space for ALL.

Submitted by Olga Thompson on Fri, 07/13/2018 - 4:00pm
should we let cons and drug addicts and other "alls" come to the temple.

Submitted by Armand Sanchez on Sat, 07/14/2018 - 2:22am
No, but you should learn to spell :D

Submitted by Kevin on Fri, 07/06/2018 - 3:59pm
Exposing children to perverts and pederasts like drag queens is such a violation of the intention of a library.

Submitted by Nick Friedman on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 6:49pm
Your words are disgusting. That's a huge assumption to make about any group of people. You also have no idea what the intention of the San Jose public library system. If you actually read their vision statement it says "We strive to provide Library services that are known and valued by the culturally diverse community, resulting in use from the broadest base of the public". San Jose is extremely diverse city and drag queens are part of that. Drag Queen and the LGBTQIA are part of this community and are valued members. Don't ever call anyone who's part of this community a pervert or pederasts again. Educate, enlighten, and evolve yourself.

Submitted by Olga Thompson on Fri, 07/13/2018 - 4:05pm
Diverse and perverse is different. How diverse we should be dealing with young children in particular, those who are not ready for everything yet. Let them learn about Bambi, numbers, letters, colors, may be even about other then America countries.

Submitted by Peter on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 9:58pm
Seems fine to me. Feel free to not attend, Kevin.

Submitted by Connie on Thu, 07/12/2018 - 1:27am
subjecting children to people like you is WRONG. Mr KKK USA

Submitted by Parent on Fri, 07/13/2018 - 11:38am
Sorry that family values insults you

Submitted by Olga Thompson on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 11:34am
Do we really have to? Should we leave our very young children as innocent as they are till later? Let's leave it to them to discover and make their own opinion when they are ready for the "complications" of live. Should a con men or a drug addict tell the innocent souls their stories in the libraries? I am not even saying it is wrong or right (we are so "proud" of been so opened), but imaging where it will go: children playing Spider Man, Cinderella, doctors, animals, and drag queens. Fun! Do not mess up their minds! They will have enough time to do it themselves. No respect at all to the temple of education.

Submitted by Peter on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 10:09pm
Children "discover and make their own opinion" based on the world around them. I bet the parents and guardians who bring the children can help answer any questions.

Submitted by Bob on Sat, 07/14/2018 - 5:07pm
And at the end of the story time a DQ is asking the young audience: Who wants to be a DQ? Hands raised. It is not a joke. How about: who wants to be a nurse, a librarian, a sailor, a scientist... I am not a hypocrite, but again let's ask: "who wants to be straight? If we have rainbow days at school, let's have non rainbow days, gay parade and not-gay. We do not shove it in your faces. Do not shove in ours.

Submitted by Pat on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 2:10pm
Thank you so much for having this storytime! My kiddo is gender fluid, and I worry about how they will be treated by their peers as they get older. I'm happy that you are teaching kids (and their families) about inclusion and diversity and that gender expression can be many things. Please have more programs like these!

Submitted by Amber on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 4:27pm
I agree with you so much! My child is also gender fluid and it's hard for us to find non-binary events to attend!

Submitted by Rebecca on Fri, 07/13/2018 - 6:18pm
Gender fluid! Species fluid. Moral fluid. Something fluid floating in the water of diversities! Do not teach the children to be fluid. Teach them to accept the difference and individuality, but know who they are, not who they want to be just because it is popular, like fashion, it is new and different. Youth always wants to be different and controversial, help them to find possibilities. Like a caring doctor, you want your children to be healthy and take care of their health. When they old enough explain to them the "risk" and "benefits" of been one the diversity group. You need to realize, that it is not just an innocent dress-up game. Fluid - a substance that has no fixed shape and yields easily to external pressure".

Submitted by Jennifer on Fri, 07/13/2018 - 4:39pm
Gender fluid. Already a term "created" for the subject. So, are we raising fluids now. What happened with definitions of "solid", "character"? No commitment, no particular responsibilities. Whatever. How are you going to explain your child, what do dress, how to behave, what bathroom to use and how to use it? How are you going to explain the natural facts of their body functions? At least, wait till they start "experiment" or learn as adults. We wait for them to start driving, drinking. We even consider the exposure of offensive language, but we are proud to introduce the diversity. When the parenting was cancelled? You need to guide the child. The child should not be gender fluid - spineless creature. Parents should prepare the child to be an adult: know how to work and provide for himself, be strong to protect the weak, love, have children and raise them, take care of the country.

Submitted by Parent on Fri, 07/13/2018 - 5:14pm
I don't think you know what gender fluid means. It means a person doesn't identify as having a fixed gender. A person identifying as gender fluid can still, "know how to work and provide for [themselves (because any PERSON can do these things!], be strong to protect the weak, love, have children and raise them, [and] take care of the country."

Submitted by noah on Mon, 07/16/2018 - 12:49am
i agree with your comment 100% raising your kid as a "gender fluid" kid or any of the other bogus made up genders is border line child abuse. It can have bad long term effects on these young innocent children.

Submitted by Proud Uncle on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 3:08pm
It warms my heart to see this storytime. I've never gone to a storytime, but I am going to try my hardest to go with my sister, her husband, and my niece.

Submitted by Amber on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 4:28pm
Thank you so much SJPL! This is FANTASTIC!!! Neither of my children follow traditional binary gender lines, and I'm thrilled to see SJPL putting on such a wonderful story time event.

Submitted by Fred Zachowski on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 5:28pm
A storyteller is telling a story.....and storytellers dress up in all kinds of ways.....animals, cartoon characters, you name it. I am a totally straight, "normal" guy who does not feel any agenda regarding "changing" our children is at work here; quite the opposite - encouraging them NOT to feel pressured to change and be something they are not...

Submitted by Nick Friedman on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 6:38pm
Thank you for having this event. Drag Queens are NOT perverse or perverts they are amazing people and are an integral part of our community. It's important for kids to be exposed to all kinds of people because they exist in our community and they are valued. If you are closed minded and have a problem with this event don't come. This is progress people, it's time we start being more inclusive and not exclusive.

Submitted by Nick on Fri, 07/13/2018 - 4:19pm
Progress is when we move forward, not degrading. Library is a place for "propaganda" in a good sense, education if you will. As "normal" and good people as they are, they are abnormalities of life, not the common part of it. Just because they exist, we do not have to value them.

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 8:11pm
This is awesome! Who doesn't like stories about inclusion, diversity and friendship with some glitter and glamour thrown in? Way to go SJPL! Putting this on my family calendar right now!

Submitted by Stephanie on Tue, 07/10/2018 - 4:09pm
What if I told you that drag queens are completely normal people who go home at the end of the day to perhaps a loved one, a dog or maybe a cat, go grocery shopping, etc. and don't touch little children and aren't sex-obsessed? Because, NEWSFLASH: WHAT THEY ARE IS ENTERTAINERS. Lol good golly, people. Really? So that must mean every singer, actor, writer, juggler, artist, lion tamer...are pedophiles as well? Let's use some sense, here, shall we?

Submitted by Nadine on Fri, 07/13/2018 - 4:10pm
Strippers also entertain. Let them. You need to consider the audience.

Submitted by Stacey Acton on Tue, 07/10/2018 - 7:28pm
My kids will be there, this is awesome.

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