"Grijalva, a Democrat representing , submitted a funding request for structural repairs at the town of Bisbee's Copper Queen Library in February as part of the annual budget appropriation process. But the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture denied her request, and Grijalva said staffers involved in the spending negotiations told her the decision came after Republican committee members learned the library had previously hosted the two drag events."
""It was a drag story time, reading to kids who love it," Grijalva told The Advocate. "People kept stopping me, saying, 'I can't believe they're not going to fund our library.' ... The community is really, really upset about it.""
"The funds would have been issued to Copper Queen Library in fiscal year 2027 to help fund roofing and flooring at the building, according to Grijalva's office. The congresswoman requested $649,330 for the project, which was on the lower end of funding requests, with some other projects seeking millions of dollars."
"In recent years, libraries have become a source of partisan tension, with Republicans claiming that libraries are politically biased in favor of the left and help youth access LGBTQ+ content. Conservative politicians and influencers have taken particular aim at drag performances at libraries, alleging they are inappropriate for children to attend, even when catered explicitly to children, like drag storytimes and book readings."
U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva sought $649,330 for structural repairs at the Copper Queen Library in Bisbee through the annual budget appropriation process. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture denied the request. Grijalva said staffers told her the denial followed Republican committee members learning the library hosted two drag events in 2019 and 2024. She described the events as drag story time reading to children who enjoy it and said the community is upset. The request would have funded roofing and flooring in fiscal year 2027. Grijalva characterized the amount as modest for a regional resource serving rural communities. Libraries have faced growing partisan tension, with Republicans alleging political bias and targeting drag performances and LGBTQ+ content for youth.
Read at Advocate.com
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