Citizens of the small city of Rye, New York have reached out to Elizabeth Johnston, The Activist Mommy, with a plea for help after their efforts to defeat a Drag Queen Story Hour event at their local library prompted a massive pro-LGBT backlash.

When Rye residents, including Robin Janovich and Tom McDermott of The Rye Record, saw advertisements for the program in January, they were told that the event would allow children ages 3-8 to “celebrate difference, learn empathy, and create crafts” and “celebrate diversity while building confidence in self-expression.”

The event was scheduled to take place on February 8.

Immediately, Janovich reports, questions began swirling around the worktable in the Rye Record newsroom, such as:

“Are families likely to bring their young children to a program that uses drag queens to focus on inclusivity? Why are we foisting conversations on inclusivity on children that young? Are we replacing bedtime stories, which take children out of themselves and out into other, far more interesting worlds, with discussions of sexual differences when they are innocent sponges?”

In our experience, the answer is yes, mind-numbed parents do march their children right into these events thinking that they will instill them with the cherished “woke” value of “inclusivity.”

These “conversations” are being foisted on such young children for myriad superficial reasons, such as promoting literacy, but we know that a sinister program of sexual grooming and the promotion of perverted sexual behavior is at the heart of Drag Queen Story Hour.

And, yes, the actual books chosen for these events are typically radically pro-LGBT children’s books such as “I Am Jazz” and “Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress.”

Community residents posed similar questions to The Rye Record:

“What happened to bringing joy and delight to our children and grandchildren, rather than assaulting them with political correctness?”

“If the #MeToo Movement has taught us one thing, isn’t it that men dressing up as women for entertainment isn’t progress?”

Amen! We’ve long maintained that drag is little more than a misogynistic minstrel show. It’s not progress, it’s is a cultural disease, and the people of Rye weren’t about to let it infect the Rye Free Reeding Room.

According to Janovich, RFRR Director Chris Shoemaker was away at an American Library Association meeting, which tells us everything we need to know.

The ALA has long been an advocate for Drag Queen Story Hours and has even hosted conferences to teach library staff how to thwart “community resistance” against the events.

For the moment, community resistance has prevailed, and the event did not take place as scheduled.

In a conversation with Shoemaker shortly after the event was halted, Janovich says he had received “a multitude of emails from Rye residents stating their displeasure about offering a program like Drag Queen Story Hour.”

“But nearly all of those emails were anonymous, so I couldn’t respond to them individually,” Shoemaker said. “They were form letters asking that the library be neutral in its viewpoints and not create an unwelcome environment.”

“After looking at all the feedback and considering whether we should be using an adult performer to spread this message,” Shoemaker continued, “I decided the library should pause and refocus on engaging different educators.”

Although the event was thankfully stopped, members of the Rye community, including Janovich, were concerned that the event had been merely postponed, not canceled outright.

If some of Rye’s story hour advocates have their way, the event will come back.

According to the Daily News, Rye resident Joie Cooney said the RFRR board of directors gave in to protesters pressure “behind closed doors,” robbing the community’s children of a valuable lesson on “gender identity” and inclusion.

Cooney started an online petition urging the library to reconsider its decision. Although the petition has gained over 14,000 signatures since its creation earlier this month, it should be noted that less than 500 of those are recognized as “local signatures” by the petition platform. Does that sound fair? Not one bit.

The City of Rye’s Human Rights Commission, who applauded the event when it was first announced, is leading the charge to reinstate the event.

The Commission, located at City Hall and helmed by a crew of leftist women, including a former library executive and a “reproductive health” expert, issued a statement in late January lamenting the postponement of the event.

“Drag Queen Story Hour is an opportunity for children to be exposed to different forms of beauty and performance,” the statement reads, in part. “It can also help to dispel stigma and stereotypes that are so often, unfortunately and inaccurately, projected onto LGBTQ youth. The program gives children, their families and caregivers positive role models who break gender stereotypes and encourage children to be exactly who they want to be.”

“We look forward to the Rye Free Reading Room’s reinstatement of this event,” they concluded.

Rye residents who have reached out to us fear that this may be more than just a hopeful statement and that the story hour event will be back with a vengeance.

Sources have told us that the “sponsor” of the event is rumored to be an employee of globalist shadow oligarch George Soros. As we’ve recently reported, we know there is big money propping up these pro-LGBT onslaughts on American communities.

“We have demonstrated, we have prayed, we have picketed,” a Rye community member told The Activist Mommy, pleading for “fearless outside help.”

“Most Rye residents are AFRAID to go public and use their names in this fight,” the citizen continued. “There is an atmosphere of FEAR here. People are afraid of being BULLIED and Have been BULLIED because of their opposition. Grown MEN are afraid for their JOBS if they speak out in opposition. We are relying on you to help us.”

Does bullying dissenters and threatening their jobs sound like liberty, tolerance, and inclusivity? It sounds like Nazism to me!!

Another citizen warned us that the Rye Free Reading Room is “planning to bring [the story hour] back with a full blown LQBTQIA diversity program to educate Rye residents!!”

“My instinct tells me we’re in for a big fight and we will not prevail without support,” the citizen said.

Saints, we aren’t going to let the people of Rye be pushed around and intimidated.

We have repeatedly demonstrated how sick and dangerous these events are. As much as liberal media outlets like the Daily News want to promote this event as “kid-friendly,” we know the truth. We cannot give in to the LGBT mob’s fear tactics. We must take a stand for our children!!

Call or email the Rye Free Reading Room and urge them to avoid all association with Drag Queen Story Hour. Their community does not need to be re-educated, they need to be heard!