World’s largest drag story time event sets Guinness World Record

The Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a drag queen story time reading has been set in Philadelphia, to mark the start of Pride Month.

On Saturday (1 June), Philadelphia Gay News – the area’s largest and oldest LGBTQ+ publication – achieved the biggest attendance at a drag queen story time reading event with a crowd of 263.

Drag queen story hours are usually held in libraries but can take place in a variety of public spaces, where one or more performer reads age-appropriate children’s stories to youngsters and their families.

In recent years, events have faced increasing threats, violence and protest from anti-queer groups in the US, UK and beyond, who say they sexualise children, with some cancelled because of bomb-threats, and queens threatened with violence.

Sponsored by Visit Philadelphia, the event took place at the National Constitution Center, on Arch Street, bringing together famous local drag performers to read.

Drag performer Brittany Lynn, who is also an LGBTQ+ activist, literacy advocate and head of the award-winning Philly Drag Mafia, served as emcee for the day.

The event featured the following books and performers:

• Hello, Philadelphia!, written and illustrated by Martha Day Zschock and read by Brittany Lynn
• ’Twas the Night Before Pride, written by Joanna McClintick, illustrated by Juana Medina and read by Aurora
• Elmer, written and illustrated by David McKee and read by Icon Ebony Fierce
• The Family Book, written and illustrated by Todd Parr and read by Athena Chanteuse
• Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows, written and illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner and read by Morgan

Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal said: “Philadelphia is where our country was founded, where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed and where some of the most significant LGBTQIA+ moments in US history took place.

“Creating history-making moments like we’ve done today, hosted on land synonymous with our country’s fight for fundamental rights and freedom, serves as a powerful reminder of the resiliency, talent and culture that make up the fabric of our great American city.”

The event was “extraordinarily fitting for the birthplace of freedom and modern democracy”, Neil Frauenglass, Visit Philadelphia’s senior director of marketing, said.

“Last summer, Visit Philadelphia hosted a small drag story time in front of Independence Hall that we filmed and used as part of a national TV spot, so it was only fitting for us to support a bigger, bolder, record-setting version this year,” he added.

“The event aligned perfectly with our In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union series that highlights Philadelphia as an inclusive and welcoming place for all – and that’s exactly what Philadelphia Gay News demonstrated for the world today.”