Drag queen story time performer says she’s ‘scared to walk the streets’ after being branded a ‘paedophile’
Drag queen story time performer Flow visited Glencoats Primary School in Inverness, Scotland. (Twitter)
A drag queen story time performer who sparked a national debate this week said she’s scared for her safety.
Comedian and drag queen Miss Mullen said she’s been branded a “paedophile” after a visit to an Inverness primary school caused a media storm.
Mullen was introduced to children as Flow when she visited Glencoats Primary School with SNP MP Mhairi Black to read a story about same-sex parent families.
But after the Daily Star published a story about her posting adult jokes on social media under her adult stage name Flowjob, Mullen became the target of vitriol.
“The worst part was being accused of being a paedophile,” she told the Daily Record.
Mullen, a trans woman, said that she usually travels to gigs on public transport with a full face of makeup, “and it will not bother me”.
“I’ve never been scared to walk the streets the way I do before.
But now, after being brought into the public eye, I don’t want people to recognise me in the streets.
After a barrage of criticism from anti-LGBT+ campaigners – including the anti-trans group ForWomen.Scot – Mullen said she was hung out to dry by the local authority.
In a statement, Renfrewshire Council apologised and said that it would not have arranged Mullen’s visit if it had been aware of her social media posts.
But according to Mullen, there was “full disclosure” between herself and the school.
“I do feel like I’ve been used by the council as a scapegoat,” she said.
“I feel like it’s all been directed my way, when all I did was go to do a job.”
Renfrewshire Council told the Daily Record that it was “very sorry” for the abuse levelled at Mullen, saying it “takes responsibility” for what happens at its schools.
Flowjob and Flow are completely different acts.
Addressing her critics, Miss Mullen said it was obvious that she wasn’t going to bring her adult act into schools.
“Teachers in school are known as Mr and Miss but they are different people out of school.
“Every entertainer has to cater for their crowd. I do stand up mostly and you need to pick your audience and the jokes you’re going to tell.
“I’m not going to go into a school and tell the dirty jokes I tell to adults because that’s inappropriate, but if I go to read a story book to kids, there’s no harm done.”
Mhairi Black shuts down anti-LGBT+ drag queen story time critics.
On Monday, Mhairi Black hit back at critics whose motives she said were “completely transparent”.
“So many people in my mentions want acknowledgment of LGBT+ people shut down because you still think there’a something inappropriate in our existence,” she tweeted.
“You’re willing to see another generation of LGBT+ people growing up believing that who they are should be hidden away.
“Never mind the fact that doing so in the past has left a massively disproportionate number of LGBT+ people, generation after generation including my own, suffering severe mental health problems and higher suicide rates.
“The Simpsons has been mocking your ‘won’t somebody think of the children!’ faux sincerity since the 90s. I don’t know why you think repackaging it now isn’t completely transparent.”
