A video capturing a drag queen leading a group of children in a chant of 'Free Palestine' during a queer storytime event at a Massachusetts art center has sparked controversy.
The event, titled "Queer Storytime for Palestine," was held at the Northampton Center for the Arts in Amherst, Massachusetts, on April 14. It was organized by the Valley Families for Palestine group.
The video, which has been met with widespread criticism, features drag queen Lil Miss Hot Mess encouraging a group of preschool and elementary school-aged children to chant "Free Palestine," as reported by the Valley Families for Palestine group on Instagram.
During the reading of her book "If You're a Drag Queen and You Know It," Lil Miss Hot Mess instructed the children, "If you're a drag queen and you know it shout Free Palestine.'"
The event was described as a celebration of Palestinian culture, with activities including dancing, learning about queer heroes, and arts and crafts, according to an Instagram post by the Valley Families for Palestine group. Proceeds from the event were donated to alQaws, a Palestinian organization advocating for queer liberation.
The event also featured Hannah Moushabeck, a Palestinian American activist and author of "Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine," and Sarah Prager, a Massachusetts-based author known for her works on LGBTQ+ history and culture.
However, the event and video have drawn severe criticism online, with many highlighting the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals in Gaza and other Palestinian areas. The LGBT Equality Index, which ranks countries based on their LGBTQ+ friendliness, placed Palestine at 192 out of 197 countries, just above Iran.
StopAntisemitism, an online platform, posted, "The harsh reality? Members of the LGBTQ+ community are often murdered in Gaza and other Palestinian areas such as Ramallah."
Jake Wallis Simons, the editor of the Jewish Chronicle, criticized the event on social media, stating, "If youre a drag queen and you know it, kids, shout "free Palestine." Seriously. Yahya Sinwar, Putin, Xi and the Ayatollah are laughing so hard (and sharpening their knives)."
Eitan Fischberger, a former Israel Defense Forces sergeant, referred to the event as "An indoctrination double whammy."
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