At an event held in Amherst, Mass., last week, a drag queen was hired to entertain young children, asking them to sing and shout, "Free Palestine." A video of the event went viral and caused controversy on social media.
The event, called "Queer Storytime for Palestine," was organized by the group Valley Families for Palestine. The drag queen, known as "Lil Miss Hot Mess," was recorded asking children to shout the phrase:
Today what we're going to do is we're going to shout, "Free Palestine." Can I hear that? ... If you're a drag queen and you know it, and you really want to show it, if you're a drag queen and you know it, shout, "Free Palestine."
In the video, children can be heard imitating the drag queen and repeatedly chanting "Free Palestine."
Amherst, MA - Valley Families for Palestine puts on ‘Queer Storytime for Palestine’ in which toddlers are recorded chanting “Free Palestine”.
The harsh reality? Members of the LGBTQ+ community are often murdered in Gaza and other Palestinian areas such as Ramallah. pic.twitter.com/b8qwU4ycR3
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 24, 2024
Criticism of the video
The video, which was shared numerous times on social networks, received harsh criticism from users, who pointed out the irony of a drag queen singing and shouting that phrase "Free Palestine" given the harsh treatment that people from the LGBTQ community receive in Gaza.
The Stop Antisemitism group posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) alongside the video:
The harsh reality? Members of the LGBTQ+ community are often murdered in Gaza and other Palestinian areas such as Ramallah. ... Often times members of the LGBTQ+ community seek refuge in Israel as their lives are endangered and their families excommunicate them.. Were these children taught these points?
Eitan Fischberger, former Israel Defense Forces officer, stated: "An indoctrination double whammy: 'Free Palestine' meets 'drag queen story hour.'"
An indoctrination double whammy: "Free Palestine" meets "drag queen story hour" in Connecticut River Valley pic.twitter.com/uQ6bf67Owg
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) April 24, 2024
The organizers of the event also shared several photos on their Instagram account showing young children and their parents watching the drag queen's performance. According to the group, "important lessons" were taught to the minors:
We came together today in joy and solidarity and learned some important lessons about being ourselves, using our voices to speak out against injustice, and being fabulous while we do it.
Often times members of the LGBTQ+ community seek refuge in Israel as their lives are endangered and their families excommunicate them.
Were these children taught these points? pic.twitter.com/FlAvdedL4P
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 24, 2024
