WA State to spend $83K on training with Drag Queen Story Hour Director.

Washington State to Spend $83,000 on Diversity Training Featuring Drag Queen Story Hour Director

The Washington DEI Empowerment Conference, set to take place every Wednesday in June, will focus on diversity, anti-racism, and equity. The conference will cost an estimated $83,000, with $48,000 going towards speaker fees, $17,923 towards accessibility services, and $17,440 towards technology for the virtual conference.

Drag Queen Story Hour Director to Deliver Keynote Speech

The conference will feature a keynote speech titled “Drag Story Hour and Fireside Chat” by Jonathan Hamilt, the Executive Director of Drag Queen Story Hour. The speech will defend the performance of drag in front of children and will discuss the importance of LGBTQAI+ family programming. Hamilt has a personal goal of offering affirming and accepting programming for kids. However, Drag Queen Story Hour has been caught bringing registered sex offenders into close contact with children at their events on multiple occasions.

Other Talks at the Conference

The conference will also include talks on incorporating DEIB and anti-racism work into recruitment, led by Lisa Grund and Tangi Tash, and a session called “The Elephant in the Room” discussing America’s “original and most persistent sin, racism,” led by Phillip Jacobs. The conference aims to help state employees learn more about the lived experiences and challenges of Washingtonians who face systemic barriers, exclusion from accessing government services, harm from policies, or discrimination in the workplace.