A transgender drag queen has said he is concerned about his mental health after a group of conservative students protested against an event he was hosting.
Johnny Valkyrie was one of two drag queens reading stories to children during the Drag Storytime event at Brisbane Square Library on Sunday afternoon.
A group from the University of Queensland’s Liberal National Club stormed the event shouting ‘drag queens are not for kids’.
Johnny Valkyrie (pictured) was one of two drag queens reading stories to children during the Drag Storytime event at Brisbane Square Library on Sunday afternoon
Mobile phone footage of their protest shows them chanting loudly at as drag queen Diamond Good-Rim tries to persuade them to stop.
Mr Valkyrie, who was born a woman but now identifies as a homosexual man, posted on Facebook that the protest ‘exhausted’ him.
He said he was worried about his mental health and asked for donations toward the $10,000 cost of an affirmation procedure to remove his breasts.
He wrote: ‘The incident yesterday which has gone viral has exhausted me. The media and opposition will come after me given I am transgender and homosexual.
‘I am worried about my mental health, my employment and my ability to handle the legal action I need to take regarding the incident that has exploded on national news.
‘I wish my activism paid the bills, but I have to do 9 – 5 elsewhere. I am so tired. I need your help.’
His post was met with dozens of kindhearted comments offering support.
Mr Valkyrie (pictured) posted on Facebook that the protest ‘exhausted’ him
Protesters stormed a drag queen story-time event for children at a library in Brisbane’s CBD (left and right)
Drag Storytime is an event held at libraries around Australia where drag queens read stories to children who attend with their parents.
The idea to is teach children about the fluidity of gender identity and provide them with queer role models.
The University of Queensland’s Liberal National Club said they demonstrated against the event to fight against children ‘being indoctrinated with radical gender theories’.
But The Veronicas star Jessica Origliasso, who is engaged to transgender bartender Kai Carlton, said she was furious at the protest and called the group ‘bigoted’.
‘A good friend of mine took her daughter along to a children’s story telling event in Brisbane by two gorgeous Drag Queens, when a screaming group calling themselves the UQ young Libs stormed the event, causing chaos and distress to children and everybody there,’ Origliasso wrote on Instagram on Sunday afternoon.
‘What they did today was add to the bigotry, division and trauma young children are left to face in today’s society.’
A Queensland Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia officers were called to the venue following reports between 15 and 20 protesters were causing distress at a community event.
Footage of the incident showed protesters repeatedly chant ‘drag queens are not for kids’ before a voice behind the camera appears to criticise a security guard.
‘You guys should have dealt with this downstairs,’ the person out of shot said.
The Veronicas’ star Jessica Origliasso, who is engaged to transgender bartender Kai Carlton, (pictured together) said she was furious at the protest and called the group bigoted
Drag queen Johnny Valkyrie (pictured) was in attendance at the event and was reading stories to children at the Brisbane library
Organisers Rainbow Families Queensland (RFQ) – who held the event in collaboration with Brisbane City Council – said the group left before police arrived.
‘They entered the event chanting and scared the children. Some parents got them outside the room where they continued to chant loudly,’ a spokesperson for the organisation said.
UQ Liberal National Club said they waited until the story-reading event had finished to begin their demonstration, and claimed neither children or staff were upset as a result of the protest.
‘In regards to the protest itself, we waited until the event had finished, did not response to abuse directed at us, and left when directed by security,’ the university group said.
‘What people do with their own time and money is their choice, but Brisbane City Council should not be subsidising this event.
‘We are hoping that Brisbane City Council will take swift action to cancel future events.’
RFQ disputed this, saying children were still cutting out paper angels and drawing with pencils and crayons when protesters walked into the room where the event was taking place.
The event featured story reading by drag queen Johnny Valkyrie.
RFQ billed the event on Sunday morning as a chance for children to ‘join the glamorous Diamond and Queeny for bubbles, craft, and stories about diverse kids and families.’
The Liberal National Part and Brisbane City Council both criticised the protest.
Councillor Vicki Howard the protesters had ‘no affiliation with the LNP’ and their stunt was ‘appalling’.
Rainbow Families Queensland billed the event on Sunday morning as a chance for children to ‘join the glamorous Diamond and Queeny for bubbles, craft, and stories about diverse kids and families.’