Nearly a week since announcing the event on social media, Scout Coffee + Tea continues to navigate backlash surrounding a drag story time event the cafe has scheduled for next weekend.
A barrage of direct messages filled with alleged harassment and threats along with promises of protest began landing in their inbox within 24 hours of Monday’s post, owner Katrina Tessier said.
“You start seeing posts being like, ‘Oh, call this business and complain.’ You know, ‘this is grooming. This is sexual assault. This is pedophilia,'” Tessier told Global News on Sunday.
The business prides itself in being family-friendly and inclusive, she said. Scout Coffee + Tea regularly hosts reading events for children, including one taking place called “Story Time with Sally,” a character from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
“Having a cis-gendered person in a costume is fine to these people, but having potentially a queer person dressed up in a certain way with certain makeup and things, that’s a problem, and it’s like this disconnect, which just blows my mind,” Tessier said.
Scout Coffee + Tea has also been highlighting messages of support on its Instagram page.
It’ll be Rose Mortel and her friends’ first time reading at the cafe, but she’s done story times in drag before, including at Winnipeg pride events and public libraries.
“I think children should be exposed to people from all walks of life,” Mortel said.
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“There (are) age-appropriate ways to have children see all different kinds of people from all different kinds of backgrounds.”
Despite the concern, it’s all the more important to move forward with the event, Mortel told Global News on Sunday.
“I think over the years, I’ve just kind of learned to try and brush it off and let it be more of a reflection of them than of me, but at the same time, it is a bit rough.”
Mortel’s friend, whose drag name is Mei Yosong, agrees it’s important queer children and families see themselves represented.
“When we don’t understand something, that we look at it … from the perspective of how can we learn from this? How can we grow? And instead of thinking, how is this group different for me?” Yosong said.
For Tessier, the negative reaction — including some coming from people living outside Manitoba — is a sign more education is needed to push back harmful misconceptions about the drag and queer communities.
The event is going ahead as planned, although Tessier expressed concern over how a potential protest and counter-protest on Sunday could unfold.
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