AUSTIN, Texas — Across the country, we've seen protests and outrage over drag performance events where kids were in attendance. On Saturday, The Painted Porch Bookshop in Bastrop held "Drag Story Hour," where drag performers dressed as pirates and princesses read stories to kids.
Colleen Pannell, also known as "Captain Scar," was one of Saturday's drag kings.
"It's a way for us to just express and be a little bit extra," Pannell said. "Which is what everybody likes to be is a little bit extra."
While drag has been around for ages, there are some who don't accept it.
"I had already gone through this before in the '80s and the late '70s," Pannell said. "This is something that's already happened before, and even before that. To have to go through it again, we always say history repeats itself and it's repeating itself again."
Ryan Holiday, the owner of The Painted Porch Bookshop, said he got many complaints from the community.
A customer called the bookshop and said because they were hosting a story time with drag performers, the customer will no longer visit the store. Below is the exchange the customer had with a worker at the bookstore:
"We got some angry notes online and stuff," Holiday said.
People called on Holiday to cancel the event, but the pushback didn't deter him.
"There is nothing inappropriate or strange or weird about it," he said. "It was people reading books and having a good time together. It was a community."
Pannell said these comments can sometimes hurt, but it's all about keeping your head high.
"We're not going to back down," Pannell said. "We're not going to give up. We're going to show people that we're not here to harm anybody. We're here to show our love."
Pannell hopes that at some point, those who don't agree with what she does will one day understand what it's all about.
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