Pressure from at least one elected official in the borough of Saint-Laurent, in Montreal, could result in the cancellation of a story hour hosted by drag queen Barbada, according to a source who works in the community of municipal libraries. . The borough mayor, Alan DeSousa, however, vigorously denies this version of the facts.
Present on the Montreal art scene since 2005, Barbada has presented “storytime” for several years in various bookstores and libraries, where she reads stories to young people aged three to eight. The holding of its activity scheduled for November 5 in the borough of Saint-Laurent, in Montreal, is however uncertain.
“We knew it was going to create a little something, because in the past, it has already happened that someone wanted to program this activity and it was refused”, confided to the To have to a person who works in the Montreal library network and who wishes to preserve their anonymity for fear of reprisals. “Despite blatant reluctance, they finally agreed,” says our source.
However, the tide turned when an elected official went to consult the Barbada site at the beginning of last week and found herself uncomfortable. “She convinced everyone to change their minds and asked the libraries to break the contract with Barbada,” explains our source.
Made aware of this volte-face on Tuesday morning, Barbada immediately offered to meet the elected officials of the borough in order to explain their approach to them. “The goal is not to enter into confrontation with the people of the borough, it is rather to talk to each other and that everyone finds their benefit,” notes Sébastien Potvin, by his civil name, at the end of the wire.
Another version of the facts
Reached by telephone, the mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa, denies this version of the facts disclosed by our source. “There was no elected official who was opposed” to the activity of Barbada, he slices, evoking rather a more global conversation on the issues of inclusivity which the libraries of the borough wish to deal with.
“The council that I chair was open to dealing with these subjects, but it wanted to have some knowledge, to know how these subjects which are highly sensitive could be dealt with,” he explains. “We are going to take a break from book events until we establish the framework for having these discussions, we will establish the conditions for success,” he maintains. As for a possible meeting with Sébastien Potvin, he declares himself “very open”.
“The goal is to talk to each other”
The artist in question is confident that he will be able to speak to elected officials shortly, but regrets the way in which the situation has evolved. “If I had been informed a little before, I could have proposed to the elected officials to meet me before mentioning their discomfort. »
He hopes to be able to animate his activity in November, as he has already done in many other libraries. “In this whole story, I want to work with everyone so that the activity takes place,” he explains, aware that stereotypes still die hard. “It’s not because it’s a drag queen that we are going to do jokes pee or poo. The goal is to talk to each other, ”he reiterates, pointing out that the negative comments about his activity only come from people who did not attend.
A Facebook post from the Dorval library announcing the presence of the artist for two hours of storytelling on June 11 had also sparked a torrent of hatred on social networks. Barbada had nevertheless carried out both activities, although a police presence was required outside.
“I will do everything to ensure that this activity takes place, since it is beneficial for everyone”, declares the artist, determined to have a dialogue.