As part of the Olofström library’s autumn program last year, two drag queens were booked in to read fairy tales. But after the director of the library received targeted threats against the event, the municipality chose to hold the story time digitally.
In October 2022, unknown senders sent emails to the library. In the police report that was drawn up, it emerged, among other things, that the sender had written “May you burn in hell you pedophiles” and “I would turn both you and the library upside down if these were my children”.
– In general, I think that it is a dangerous development if the libraries cannot carry out their activities as they planned due to threats, said Barbro Hallberg, library manager at Olofström’s library, to SVT Nyheter Blekinge at the time.
Better prepared
But now the library chooses to give the Drag Queen Story Hour another chance.
– Last year we were completely unprepared, so it was the responsibility of the children who carried out the program digitally. But this year we have a plan and have prepared to be able to implement our programs, says library director Barbro Hallberg to BLT.
The story time is held at Olofström’s library in November.