Library Drag Queen Bingo event stirs controversy in Downers Grove

An upcoming game night at the Downers Grove Public Library geared toward tweens and teens and featuring a drag performance is drawing both praise and ire from members of the community.

The Drag Queen Bingo event, hosted by drag queen Aurora Divine, is set to be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Downers Grove Public Library, 1050 Curtiss St., for students in seventh grade through senior year of high school.

Many have taken to social media platforms such as Facebook to share their thoughts, with some praising the library for its inclusiveness and others suggesting the event is being used to groom children.

Downers Grove Commissioner Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt wrote in a post on her Facebook page that she is proud of the dedication of the library’s staff and board to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“And ensuring a sense of belonging for all at one of our most important public institutions,” Sadowski-Fugitt said.

She also said she is aware there is “a certain group trying to rile up its base” against the effort.

“Let me be clear: Your hate is not welcome here,” she wrote in her post.  Please stop making it what it is not. It is a space where those in our LGBTQ+ community can feel loved and welcomed for exactly who they are. They get to celebrate those who are now living their best lives, expressing themselves through hair, makeup and clothing. It is an art form. It is simply getting to unapologetically be.”

Others in the community are urging people to attend the next Downers Grove Public Library board meeting to express their concerns.

“You folks have lost your moral compass,” one person wrote on a community Facebook page. “The intent for inclusiveness is out of control. As parents we should be teaching our children respect of one another, I 100% agree with that, but the fact that things like this are being celebrated in our town is disgusting. These events are a fight against traditional values and demonize those with high moral character. This isn’t a political issue or left or right issue, it’s a moral issue.”

In a message last December to the community on the Downers Grove Public Library’s website, the Board of Library Trustees and Director Julie Milavec said the facility “stands firmly in its mission to be a place for everyone to discover, grow, play, learn.”

“The hate, discrimination, harassment, and violence toward the LGBTQ+ community has resulted in, and continues to cause, widespread negative effects. The library reaffirms its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion work with the goal of creating a more inclusive and equitable space for the entire Downers Grove community,” according to the message.

Library board meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the library’s Meeting Room.