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Drag Story Time returns to B.C. library more than 3 years after controversy

Frieda Whales returns to host
31567793_web1_230119-KCN-drag-story-time-_1
(Okanagan Regional Library/Submitted)

The Okanagan Regional Library is kicking off a new series of story time, and the first is based on inclusivity and diversity.

On Jan. 28 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m., the Kelowna Downtown Library will host Drag Story Time featuring Freida Whales, who was also performed there in 2019 in what turned into a controversial situation.

Don Nettleton, the president of the Okanagan Regional Library at the time, as well as other management were made to undergo sensitivity training following Whales’ visit after making derogatory comments.

READ MORE: Okanagan library management staff to get sensitivity training following drag queen dispute

“The announced program, while claiming to be promoting diversity and acceptance, will be offensive to a significant segment of our society,” Nettleton said in 2019.

Danielle Hubbard, however, who took over from interim CEO Jeremy Fedderson in October 2022 after Nettleton’s retirement the month prior, said that “the ORL supports and strives to represent all members of our communities.”

Whales said that she is excited to bring “entertainment, positivity, and diversity back to the reading program” in their hometown.


@JakeC_16
Jake.courtepatte@kelownacapnews.com

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