Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Drag Queen Story Hour Part 3: The Funding of DQSH and RADAR Productions, and Other Updates

Recent Media Attention

 Kaiser Permanente, a healthcare company, cobbled together a series of vignettes in an advertisement. The narrator says, "There are those who will say you're too fat. Too skinny," and it goes on and on with a laundry list of potential criticisms people might have about others while generic, "uplifting" music is played.



It's innocent enough, if a little cringeworthy and saccharine, but at the thirty second mark it becomes one of the early attempts by a big corporation to promote and normalize Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH), when the narrator continues her litany with "too much," and we're shown a scene of a drag queen performing in front of children. By the end, the narrator says, "And to them we say, too bad, because at Kaiser Permanente, we believe everyone deserves the right to thrive." The DQSH segment is sandwiched between multiple other clips and played quite briefly; a drag queen is mixed into the many faces at the end of the ad as the music reaches a crescendo. The scenes shown are all meant to be positive and showing people overcome their problems, but there is nothing positive about a drag queen presenting for young children, especially not with the subversive agenda behind DQSH and the various LGBTQ organizations attempting to groom the next generation of children. And if you don't want that, their response to you is simply "too bad."

Kaiser Permanente is known to fund liberal, SJW, and LGBTQ groups, according to NewsBusters, Such as GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, and the National Urban League. A more detailed account of whom they fund can be found at 2ndVote.  

General Funding

Where does the funding for DQSH come from?

 The basics are summarized here, with some additional information about CDC grants:
Some of these events are paid for by the libraries themselves, through funds provided by the American Library Association (which stem from taxpayer-funded federal grants). Libraries also use state and local taxpayer money to host and promote the events. In other instances, the events are privately funded, but most event sponsors take advantage of federal grants from the CDC for comprehensive sex education and HIV prevention. In these cases, community healthcare organizations and LGBTQ-advocacy groups use CDC grant money to bring the events into libraries. An example of this relationship was recently uncovered in Ohio, when Equitas Health used part of its HIV prevention grant from the CDC to support a Drag 101 event at the Licking County Library. The event was promoted as a “safe-sex for teens” workshop by the Newark Ohio Pride Coalition. It was cancelled after a large public outcry led to the Ohio House Speaker’s involvement in shutting it down.
Some DQSH branches are using GoFundMe or other crowdfunding platforms to cover some of the expenses, although based. The NYC branch in particular received a generous donation of $5,000 (based on information provided below and a statement about council members on the DQSH NYC page, it's most likely a councilman)  from an anonymous donator at the end of December, 2019; and they've so far raised $9,950 in one month from this source alone. 
RADAR Productions, the Group founded by Michelle Tea in 2003, created DQSH with Tea in 2015. This organization is responsible for DQSH's proliferation, and they've received funding from  the California Arts Council, the Horizons Foundation, the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation, among others.

 Most of these are confirmed by RADAR Productions' about page on Facebook, and the rest can be confirmed from looking at grants allocated by these NGOs. In addition, they list California LGBT Arts Alliance, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, the James Hormel Center, and the Queer Cultural Center all "generously sponsored and supported" RADAR Productions. Some of these may have provided hosting or other support rather than funds to RADAR Productions, or both monetary and non-monetary support.

It's important to mention that much of the funding to RADAR Productions, as opposed to DQSH directly, is not specifically for DQSH (for example, the Zellerbach Family Foundation donated to very specific events that were not DQSH), but any proceeds to the organization led to their expansion and the creation of DQSH; even still, I'm not certain of how intimately connected the two are at this point, as DQSH has become its own NGO rather than just representing a portion of RADAR Productions' degenerate offerings. Funds received by RADAR Productions in the 2016-2019 period may have very little relation to DQSH; while it's true DQSH was created by RADAR Productions, the DQSH website states: "DQSH is a global network of local organizations, each of which is independently managed and funded." I have found funding for some of the DQSH branches, and it's quite possible this deeper look at the funds of RADAR Productions does not correspond to DQSH at all, except money received prior to DQSH's development.

2018-2019 records show that the California Arts Council awarded a grant of $16,200 to RADAR Productions, $17,100 in 2017-2018, and $16,200 in 2016-2017.

 The Horizons Foundation (there seems to be a separate entity called the Horizon Foundation) gave grants to RADAR Productions for 2007 and 2010-2012. $7,500 in 2010 and $5000 in 2012. I wasn't able to find the exact amount for the other years, but it's safe to assume they're also in the $5,000-$7,500 range.  


The Walter and Elise Haas Fund granted a total of $37,500 to RADAR Productions according to annual reports from 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2018; they've also donated generously to the ADL and other problematic organizations relating to LGBT, immigration, or social justice.

 Both Walter and Elise Haas are Jewish. Originally Elise Stern, who is a relative of the founders of Levi Strauss & Co., where Walter Haas was president of the company from 1928-1955. On their website, they support Jewish causes and social justice. By browsing through the website, one can find plenty of propaganda concerning pro-immigration and refugee policy propaganda, criticism of Trump's travel ban, and promoting garbage like Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow.

 The Zellerbach Family Foundation (ZFF) has funded Radar Productions in the past, though not as recently as 2019, according to their website. They have donated $31,900 to RADAR Productions from 2011-2018. ZFF has donated millions to immigrant and refugee-oriented NGOs and social justice causes. The Zellerbach's are a Jewish immigrant family who made their fortune through the ownership of a pulp and paper conglomerate; notably they also possessed a lot of land and timber.

 RADAR Productions received grants from the San Francisco Grants for the Arts. $21,080 for 2015-2016, $16,200 in 2016-2017, 16,200 in 2018-2019, and $22,140 for 2020.

 The James Irvine Foundation allocated a grant of $30,000 to RADAR Productions in June 2010.

 The San Francisco Arts Commission donated $25,000 in 2014, $18,000 in 2015-2016, and $20,000 in 2017-2018, 2018, and 2019.
Funding Specifically Provided to DQSH

 New York City granted $25,000 to the NYC branch of DQSH as part of an expansion of library funding.


The two old men featured are both Council Members, both homosexual: Jimmy Van Bramer on the left, and Daniel Dromm on the right.

 Dromm (D-Queens), chair of the Finance Committee, and Van Bramer each contributed $5,000 toward Drag Queen Story Hour funding for programming in their respective district libraries. They are listed on the DQSH NYC page along with several other council members who have provided funding to DQSH. Aside from Bramer and Dromm, Ben Kallos, Carlina Rivera, Keith Powers, and Laurie Cumbo, have all provided funding. 
There are also many private sponsors: 
Sports teams in Atlanta are responsible for co-sponsoring DQSH at Atlanta's City Hall as part of Pride Month. The basketball team Atlanta Hawks is owned by Antony Ressler, a Jewish billionaire, who has donated as part of the Ressler/Gertz Foundation, from what I've seen, to mostly "normal" sources, but also some questionable Jewish elements, such as Wilshire Boulevard Temple (B'nai B'rith connection) and Simon Wiesenthal Center (Holocaust Industry).
Harry the Hawk, the Atlanta Hawks mascot, present at the DQSH event.

 The Atlanta Falcons are also owned by a Jewish billionaire named Arthur Blank who co-founded Home Depot with Bernard Marcus. Through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation he has funded many organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center and 6.8 million to CARE "in support of programs aimed at empowering women and girls through micro-savings programs." Micro-savings is a sub-branch of micro-financing, the latter of which has largely led the impoverished to become even more impoverished in most instances, not to mention fueling third world immigration to other countries. It's just repackaged usury.

 Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms invited Miss Terra Cotta Sugarbaker (Steven Igarashi-Ball) to perform at City Hall, after another DQSH event was cancelled or ceased to be promoted.

Source: CBS 46

 “We’re a lesbian couple so we like our kids to come out and interact and see that there are other kids like them,” one commenter says in the video, in another demonstration that they want their lifestyle to be normalized, and the more visible it is, the better they feel it is for themselves and their children. The mayor also rambles on with the typical nonsense about diversity and inclusion.

 Georgia Beverage Association and Whole Foods (owned by Amazon) also co-sponsored the event.


Funding in Sweden

 Sweden is also no stranger to DQSH. The Swedish branch is set to receive $175,000 (U.S. dollars or 1.7 million Swedish krona, which actually seems to adjust to something around $181,000 U.S. dollars, rounded). This money was derived from the Swedish Inheritance Fund, a program setup to account for the money of those who die without a will or family to inherit their wealth, and they have appropriated a grant to MUMS Cultural Association (Kultureföreningen Mums) for the organization of a show called "Among Dragons and Drag Queens" in Stockholm. 

MUMS Cultural Associations is, according to Pink News UK, "a politically independent association in Stockholm that aims to broaden Sweden’s cultural offerings with a special focus on LGBT+ issues, diversity and equality." The Swedish Inheritance Fund will also dole out generous funds to other left wing causes and at least one that has "a higher climate commitment."
Recent Backlash Against DQSH and Others Associated With the Organization

 One Million Moms—a division of the American Family Association (AFA)—specifically boycotted Whole Foods because of their connection to DQSH. Unfortunately, the name is a tad bit of a misnomer, wishful thinking, or an attempt to look more intimidating. Their Facebook has about 90,000 people who like/follow (and who knows how many of those still/ever engage), and seeing as they are associated with AFA, one would assume they were also signatories for the petition on the AFA website, but as of December 9, 2019, there are only 43,965 signers; there are 12,125 signers on the official One Million Moms website. These are decent numbers, but it takes a lot of pressure to win against "big gay" and their monied elites (for what it's worth, there are only 20,000 followers on DQSH's Facebook page).

 The ALA also received a petition from about 100,000 Christians concerning DQSH.

 Amidst controversy following Chick-fil-a no longer funding Salvation Army and other Christian or worthwhile causes, despite a continuance of funding for LGBT organizations and the Southern Poverty Law Center, it also turns out Chick-fil-a is funding Covenant House, which sometimes hosts DQSH events and is very pro-LGBT.

 Other petitions, according to Church Militant:
Petitions protesting DQSHs have also sprung up — one sponsored by Personhood Alliance and signed by 43,000 people and another sponsored by a partnership between CitizenGo and the Activist Mommy which was signed by 56,000 people — both delivered to the ALA on July 11.
More ALA Shenanigans

 The ALA is also obviously aware of how unpopular this program is amongst the general public and has taken prophylactic measures to protect their program: here and here. Most heinous (or hilarious) of all is a page on ALA that must be accessed with the Wayback Machine: Tips and tricks to being a secret librarian advocate operative:

 The most classic excerpt:
Sneakily fit stuff into current programs. So you’re not doing Drag Queen Storytime (yet), but you’re probably doing Regular Old Storytime, right? Try to “sneak” inclusive messages into your current programs. For instance, if you’re reading a book about a Mama bear and a Papa bear, maybe when you read it you just change it to be about 2 Papa bears! Or if you’re reading a book about a rabbit who likes to get dirty and play sports, maybe when you read it you pointedly say it’s a girl rabbit. If there are characters in a book where the gender is unidentified or irrelevant, feel free to play and change it up! Chances are kids and families won’t even notice, but for that same-sex family or gender-nonconforming child who does, it will really mean a lot to them to know their librarian has their back.
Another Drag Queen With Suspicious Behavior Involving Children

 It's well known that many of the drag queens exhibiting their deviance to crowds of children either publicly displayed obscene sexual material on their social media, at least one was convicted of prostitution, and two for the sexual abuse of minors, so it's not much of a surprise that Mama G, another in a long line of creepy drag queens, this time from a branch in the UK, appeared to be soliciting children for their emails.

 Mama G Describing how to Twerk:
"All you need to do is you just need to stand with your feet sort of shoulder-width apart like so…and then you crouch down in this sort of position, so you’re bump’s [your bum is] sticking out,” Mama G says, briefly looking back to ask someone off-camera if they’re “taking this all in.” And “then you just move your bum up and down like that. And that’s twerking.”
After the controversy broke out, Mama G changed his Twitter profile so only approved followers can see it, but not before critics saved screenshots – including one of a tweet in which Mama G appears to ask children to send him their email addresses.
“You could always do some Mama G inspired arts and crafts!” he says. “If you want one of my colouring sheets for a rainy day, DM me your email!” Suffolk Libraries UK later put out a statement that Mama G claims the message was intended only for parents:
On behalf of Mama G, this was denied by the library, of course, but it's hard to believe this is the truth.
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