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A Sydney council has voted to stop hosting drag story time events, in a move one councillor said was an "objection to queer people".
Hills Shire Council voted 10-2 to reject any requests for council to host "drag or sexualised material designed to target children".
Liberal councillor Jerome Cox moved the motion and said council should not be partnering with any groups "that have an agenda, be it social, religious or otherwise".
"If members of the community want to host a drag time story hour they can, either in their own space or hiring from council or some other provider," Mr Cox said.
"A major reason is the community should not be paying for this sort of event when they already have story time events that are run by volunteers at no cost to the community."
Mr Cox said the motion does not ban drag story time events in the Hills Shire or from council-run venues such as libraries, but means the council would not sponsor the events.
Greens councillor Mila Kasby voted against the motion. In a speech to council, Dr Kasby said there are no sexual overtones in drag story time at libraries.
"It is age appropriate, child friendly, completely wholesome and delightful," Dr Kasby said.
"We know this motion is not really an objection to reading books, wearing colourful clothes or playing music.
"It is an objection to queer people and an implication that their presence is a danger to children."
Mr Cox denied the motion suggested that drag was sexual in nature.
"I know many people consider drag to be sexualised in nature, that is not the position taken in the motion," Mr Cox said.
"The motion uses the words "…drag or sexualised material…" if drag was part of the sexualised material it would be "…drag or other sexualised material…."
However, a council spokesperson later said the motion "aimed to ensure that Council does not provide activities of a sexualised nature or content to young children."
'Upsetting and disappointing'
Monday night's vote was "upsetting and disappointing" for drag queen Jasmine Nour, who grew up in The Hills District.
Ms Nour, who performs as a drag queen as Barbi Ghanoush, said the vote was unusual as she doesn't believe there have been drag queen story time events in The Hills.
"For it to be sort of raised by these councillors pre-emptively felt bizarre," Ms Nour said.
"The reality is a drag story time event is not that much different from hiring a fairy princess or a magician for your kid's birthday party,"
Ms Nour said the motion's use of the words "sexualised material" was worded to paint drag as predatory.
"It's clearly got further reaching intent than just the concept of drag itself," Ms Nour said.
"The Hills has always been an area that's a bit notorious for its right-leaning religious extremism, so for that, to be compounded, was just really upsetting and disappointing."
Priority issues
A spokesperson from Hills Shire Council said delivering drag story time was not a priority of local government.
"The motion aimed to ensure that Council does not provide activities of a sexualised nature or content to young children," the spokesperson said.
They also said it was moved in response to a motion at the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) conference last year.
The motion encouraged NSW councils to organise local events "that are inclusive for LGBTQIA+ residents" and facilitate safety for performers and attendees.
Mr Cox said the the LGNSW motion took "significant time" at the conference and meant motions about infrastructure and flood assistance were not considered.
The Hills council vote occurred the same day the ABC cancelled a drag queen story time event at Rockdale Library after receiving "hateful and offensive" responses to a callout for the event.
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