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Communities minister Gordon Lyons has said a drag queen storytelling event in east Belfast was “not appropriate for children” and “should not have taken place”.
The event, hosted by EastSide Partnership, took place at Holywood Arches Library on Friday, and featured two drag queens.
Social media footage shows a number of protesters voicing their opposition to the drag queens reading stories to children.
In a statement EastSide Partnership said the drag queen storytelling event is one of their “longest running events and returns every year based on the positive feedback from those who attend and engage with the event”.
Lyons said the event had “compromised the perception of our public libraries as a welcoming and inclusive space for all as set out in the Libraries NI policy”.
He added that he has “directed” his officials “to liaise with Libraries NI to ensure that policy is faithfully implemented”.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it had attended a “report of a small demonstration at the Holywood Arches area of east Belfast” on Friday, shortly after 13:40 BST and “engaged with those present”.
“Two people were escorted from the building to further ensure that there would be no breach of the peace,” the PSNI added in a statement.
“At this stage, no offences were determined to have taken place.”
EastSide Partnership said that during the recent drag queen storytelling event it was made “aware of an incident outside of the event venue”.
“To ensure safety and to minimise disruption we worked with local authorities to manage a safe exit for our attending families, staff and artists,” the statement added.
“EastSide Arts Festival is committed to continue to develop a diverse, inclusive, safe, accessible and welcoming festival programme that celebrates and reflects all aspects of the community.”
TUV assembly member Timothy Gaston had written to the Communities minister in relation to the event, asking whether he considered “this an appropriate use of Libraries NI premises”.
“In my view, it most certainly is not,” he added.
BBC News
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