Valérie Plante supports drag queens for storytelling to children in the fall
Sébatien Potvin transvestite as Barbada de Barbadès, reading LGBT stories to children at the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal, March 3, 2018.
By Joanne D'Arc (Québec-Vie Campaign) — Photo: Jennifer Ricard/Wikimedia Commons
Autumn is fast approaching and Barbada wins her mandate. After Valérie Plante's social support on the Twitter platform, Barbada will tell stories to small children in the borough of Saint-Laurent in the fall of 2022.
By Joanne D'Arc (Québec-Vie Campaign) — Photo: Jennifer Ricard/Wikimedia Commons
Autumn is fast approaching and Barbada wins her mandate. After Valérie Plante's social support on the Twitter platform, Barbada will tell stories to small children in the borough of Saint-Laurent in the fall of 2022.
After the temporary cancellation of story time this summer, with the drag queen known as Barbada de Barbadès, the event will take place on November 5, 2022 at the Vieux-Saint-Laurent and Boise libraries.
For those who do not know her, Barbada is a transvestite in the name of Sébastien Potvin. He has been reading stories to children in Quebec for about five years — stories that send the message: "There's nothing wrong with being different." But,
is that the only message he really communicates to children?
Then, what exactly does it mean to "be different"?
During her story time at the Pointe-aux-Trembles library in February 2019, Barbada asked the kids if they know what a drag queen is. A little child replies "you are a gentleman, but disguised as a madam!" Sébastien corrects the child and tells him "I'm a drag queen [...] It can also be a girl who disguises herself as a girl." The silence is repeated in the room, then he continues a little neurotic "do you see how I have hair, big hair, a multicolored dress, then that's a drag queen! ". I doubt that the children understood this explanation, but Sébastien continues with the story reading. He reads a tale about the love story between two boys in support of homosexual unions. Controversy or new normal?
According to Talar, an educator at Les Génies du St-Laurent, it is not a common practice to discuss such topics at a young age. Children can be exposed to such subjects, but much later, she says. Moreover, barbada's last event in early June at the Dorval library had led to a wave of hateful messages on social networks. Dear suburban parents, what's going on?
Do you have a problem with a man who disguises himself as a woman suddenly?
Did Dorval's parents dare to question their progressive values or did they dare to express what the majority of parents are not likely to say openly? Despite the opposition, this event had indeed taken place, under police presence. Do you think it was a warm atmosphere to read tales to little children? The cancellation of the event in Saint-Laurent for Barbada would be a second cancellation of storytelling.
To the response that caused the cancellation of this event, Vana Nazarian, councillor of the City of St-Laurent answers: "I can not give you this answer". Also, she was in the car with her children and seemed unwilling to discuss Barbada in front
of them. Would Mrs. Nazarian's maternal instinct have taken over?
So far, Sébastien has met with the mayor and elected officials of the Montreal borough on Monday, August 1 to explain the activity and reassure those who had some concerns before.
"I was able to talk to them about the themes I was discussing with the children, give them examples of tales that I usually read. I answered their questions, their concerns. We had beautiful exchanges, very respectful. [...] I feel a greater openness on the part of the elected officials of the borough now that we have been able to talk to each other, "shares Sébastien, in an interview with
Le Devoir on Monday, as he came out of his meeting with the elected officials.
The mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa also communicated his enthusiasm after exchanging with Barbada, despite the initial doubts of the council of the borough of St-Laurent who still does not want to share where exactly this opposition came from.
It remains to be seen how many police officers will have to be present at this "children's" activity in the borough of the St. Lawrence Library, then how many politicians will share a Tweet in this regard. Let's keep our eyes open.
For those who do not know her, Barbada is a transvestite in the name of Sébastien Potvin. He has been reading stories to children in Quebec for about five years — stories that send the message: "There's nothing wrong with being different." But,
is that the only message he really communicates to children?
Then, what exactly does it mean to "be different"?
During her story time at the Pointe-aux-Trembles library in February 2019, Barbada asked the kids if they know what a drag queen is. A little child replies "you are a gentleman, but disguised as a madam!" Sébastien corrects the child and tells him "I'm a drag queen [...] It can also be a girl who disguises herself as a girl." The silence is repeated in the room, then he continues a little neurotic "do you see how I have hair, big hair, a multicolored dress, then that's a drag queen! ". I doubt that the children understood this explanation, but Sébastien continues with the story reading. He reads a tale about the love story between two boys in support of homosexual unions. Controversy or new normal?
According to Talar, an educator at Les Génies du St-Laurent, it is not a common practice to discuss such topics at a young age. Children can be exposed to such subjects, but much later, she says. Moreover, barbada's last event in early June at the Dorval library had led to a wave of hateful messages on social networks. Dear suburban parents, what's going on?
Do you have a problem with a man who disguises himself as a woman suddenly?
Did Dorval's parents dare to question their progressive values or did they dare to express what the majority of parents are not likely to say openly? Despite the opposition, this event had indeed taken place, under police presence. Do you think it was a warm atmosphere to read tales to little children? The cancellation of the event in Saint-Laurent for Barbada would be a second cancellation of storytelling.
To the response that caused the cancellation of this event, Vana Nazarian, councillor of the City of St-Laurent answers: "I can not give you this answer". Also, she was in the car with her children and seemed unwilling to discuss Barbada in front
of them. Would Mrs. Nazarian's maternal instinct have taken over?
So far, Sébastien has met with the mayor and elected officials of the Montreal borough on Monday, August 1 to explain the activity and reassure those who had some concerns before.
"I was able to talk to them about the themes I was discussing with the children, give them examples of tales that I usually read. I answered their questions, their concerns. We had beautiful exchanges, very respectful. [...] I feel a greater openness on the part of the elected officials of the borough now that we have been able to talk to each other, "shares Sébastien, in an interview with
Le Devoir on Monday, as he came out of his meeting with the elected officials.
The mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa also communicated his enthusiasm after exchanging with Barbada, despite the initial doubts of the council of the borough of St-Laurent who still does not want to share where exactly this opposition came from.
It remains to be seen how many police officers will have to be present at this "children's" activity in the borough of the St. Lawrence Library, then how many politicians will share a Tweet in this regard. Let's keep our eyes open.
(Québec-Vie Campaign)
Valérie Plante supports drag queens for storytelling to children in the fall - Campagne Québec-Vie (cqv.qc.ca)
Valérie Plante supports drag queens for storytelling to children in the fall - Campagne Québec-Vie (cqv.qc.ca)
