Chad Felix Greene, author of an excellent book called "Surviving Gender: My Journey through Gender Dysphoria", wrote a column for Newsweek on this very subject just last month. This is what he had to say about drag queens reading to children.
I love drag. I have done drag. Many of my favorite celebrities are drag queens. If you asked me a decade ago what I thought of, say, RuPaul sashaying into a library in full sparkling evening gown glory to read a popular children's book to kids, I would have said it was hilarious. RuPaul's Drag Race did for drag queens what Will & Grace did for gays in the 2000s. I would argue most Americans can name a favorite drag queen at this point.
But something has also changed in how Americans see drag. Drag queens went from a favorite gif to add to a particularly sassy tweet to the manifestation of everything conservative Americans fear about LGBTQ activism, especially toward children.
It might seem easy to dismiss these concerns as an overreaction or even as an expression of bigotry, but conservatives are right about this one.
The art of drag relies on exaggerated sexuality and female stereotypes. Drag queens, through dazzling performances, over-the-top humor, and a cultural dedication to irreverent commentary, have long acted as a release valve for the LGBTQ community. They could say and do things that others would never dare to express, and their unpredictable and provocative personas have long kept audiences on the edge of their seats. With careful inflection, a hand on an over-padded hip and a wink, a drag queen can speak truth to power and make them laugh.
This, however, has always remained within the private walls of adult entertainment and for good reason. Drag queens take on the most absurd sexualized elements of female stereotypes and gay culture, and add a few cans of hair spray to make it even bigger and bolder. They strut out on stage and without a moment of hesitation or shame, unleash epic poems of intentionally offensive obscenity, all with a smile and a sense of style no audience can resist.
Although many have argued this charisma can be redirected into child-appropriate entertainment, education and advocacy, the reality demonstrates otherwise. Drag queens can't turn it off. Whether in front of a cheering crowd in a gay bar or a room full of kids at a library, the performance doesn't change. They cannot translate the magic so many of us enjoy on stage to something children can understand.
I think he's summed up the general public's disquiet about it rather well.
