{"id":1626217,"date":"2022-08-30T03:32:45","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T07:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1626217"},"modified":"2022-08-30T03:35:45","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T07:35:45","slug":"parents-and-pastors-across-america-fight-drag-shows-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/parents-and-pastors-across-america-fight-drag-shows-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents And Pastors Across America Fight Drag Shows For Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fparents-and-pastors-across-america-fight-drag-shows-for-kids%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1626217&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><em>At the end of this article is an image in which nudity has been obscured.<\/em> <\/p>\n<p>This summer, small public libraries in Illinois and a zoo in Montana joined a growing number of taxpayer-supported institutions to feature men wearing provocative women\u2019s clothing at events marketed to children. These \u201cdrag queen story hours\u201d can feature children as young as babies tucking money in cross-dressers\u2019 scant clothing and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/libsoftiktok\/status\/1562841193439825920\">learning<\/a> to pole dance.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenarehuman.com\/yet-another-drag-queen-arrested-for-child-sexual-abuse-images\/\">Multiple<\/a> cross-dressing school and library performers have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getreligion.org\/getreligion\/2019\/5\/3\/a-second-drag-queen-at-the-houston-library-has-a-child-sex-abuse-record-and-reporters-refuse-to-cover-it\">later<\/a> been <a href=\"https:\/\/neonnettle.com\/news\/19081--woke-teacher-who-organized-drag-show-for-kids-arrested-for-child-sex-abuse\">found<\/a> to have committed sex crimes against children. Others included performers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lifesitenews.com\/news\/shocking-photos-kids-lie-on-man-dressed-as-woman-at-drag-queen-story-time\/\">cuddling<\/a> and apparently <a href=\"https:\/\/thepostmillennial.com\/drag-queen-flashes-young-children-at-drag-queen-story-hour\/\">flashing<\/a> children. Such LGBT-themed events and <a href=\"https:\/\/thenewphilippics.substack.com\/\">corresponding children\u2019s books<\/a> are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theamericanconservative.com\/ala-guide-to-grooming-young-readers\/\">pushed<\/a> by groups like the American Library Association and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/leaked-documents-show-how-teachers-recruit-students-form-gay-and-transgender-clubs-in-schools\">teachers unions<\/a>, which receive large amounts of funding from taxpayers.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s notable about the Montana and Illinois drag events for children was the quickly organized community pushback. In Illinois, local libraries\u2019 recent Pride Month drag events resulted in volunteers gathering enough signatures to put taxpayer-funded drag shows for kids as a referendum item on this November\u2019s ballot.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Drag-Storytime-Website-Slide-1024x403-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-278278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Drag-Storytime-Website-Slide-1024x403-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Drag-Storytime-Website-Slide-300x118.png 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Drag-Storytime-Website-Slide-768x302-1.png 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Drag-Storytime-Website-Slide.png 1170w\" \/><\/p>\n<p><figcaption class=\"col-12 col-md-6 body-xs px-15 pe-md-0 ps-md-30 py-15 m-0 text-center\">Image obtained from Glen Carbon Centennial Library via open records request.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2>Showdown in Saint Louis<\/h2>\n<p>Madison County, where three library drag events occurred this summer, is a Republican-leaning suburb of Saint Louis, Missouri. Madison County board Chairman Kurt Prenzler, a Republican, told The Federalist he collected approximately 200 signatures by going door to door. Most people he encountered had no idea nearby public libraries had held drag queen events just a few weeks prior, he said.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t for lack of drama. The appearances sparked a \u201cpeaceful prayer protest\u201d at a nearby church, a statement from local pastors, fears of violence, and police presence at the events. Prenzler was targeted for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stltoday.com\/news\/local\/govt-and-politics\/a-madison-county-official-has-split-the-gop-is-he-st-louis-trump\/article_11f07df2-fdb1-5040-ab4e-f1592dc11417.html#tracking-source=home-top-story\">a hit profile last week<\/a> by the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch.<\/p>\n<p>Due to local outcry, one of the two performers decided to do his reading for the Collinsville, Illinois library via Zoom instead of in person. The other performer did two events at the Glen Carbon, Illinois public library, <a href=\"https:\/\/glencarbonlibrary.org\/calendar-2\/#\/events\/VF5mlYCFqH\/instances\/yY2VAn5WUD\/\">on June 7<\/a> and 21. His social media and website contain plenty of eye-popping details that objecting locals sent to librarians before the event, a records request from The Federalist uncovered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"570\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailPro2-1024x570-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-278279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailPro2-1024x570-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailPro2-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailPro2-768x428-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailPro2.jpg 1205w\" \/><\/p>\n<p><figcaption class=\"col-12 col-md-6 body-xs px-15 pe-md-0 ps-md-30 py-15 m-0 text-center\">Email supporting the drag performance for children.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"548\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailCon-1024x548-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-278280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailCon-1024x548-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailCon-300x161.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailCon-768x411-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MaxiGlamour_CommunityEmailCon.jpg 1153w\" \/><\/p>\n<p><figcaption class=\"col-12 col-md-6 body-xs px-15 pe-md-0 ps-md-30 py-15 m-0 text-center\">Email to librarians opposing the drag performance.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Anyone who searched online for the performer with the stage name Maxi Glamour could find him advertising himself as a \u201cnon-binary polka demon\u201d and displaying anti-religious sentiment that would get him canceled if it were anti-gay. His website links to a 2018 Saint Louis NPR profile that <a href=\"https:\/\/news.stlpublicradio.org\/arts\/2018-11-28\/the-changing-face-of-drag-not-exactly-a-woman-but-i-dont-want-to-be-a-man#stream\/0\">notes<\/a> his performances include \u201cstripping down to a G-string.\u201d The article included a photo of Maxi Glamour gripping his naked buttocks during a show.<\/p>\n<p>Another 2018 Saint Louis NPR <a href=\"https:\/\/news.stlpublicradio.org\/arts\/2018-05-14\/drag-queen-story-hour-returns-to-st-louis-public-library-with-a-flourish#stream\/0\">article<\/a> chronicling Glamour\u2019s drag performance at a Saint Louis public library, also linked on his website, indicates he sees his performances at least partly as LGBT recruitment and public relations: \u201cFor performer Maxi Glamour, dressing in drag also serves as a way to introduce young audiences to LGBTQ culture and identity. \u2018Drag queens are the spearheads of queer culture to some extent,\u2019 [Glamour] said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not a program about sexual behaviors,\u201d Glen Carbon Library Director Christine Gerrish told The Federalist in a phone interview about the drag events. \u201cThese are programs about accepting people who are different, and overcoming stereotypes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerrish responded quickly to The Federalist\u2019s interview and open records requests. She also told The Federalist, \u201cWe do not background check or anything like that any of our performers; very few libraries do.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"570\" height=\"582\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/62a09b8a0cd7a.image_.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-278281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/62a09b8a0cd7a.image_.png 570w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/62a09b8a0cd7a.image_-294x300-1.png 294w\" \/><\/p>\n<p><figcaption class=\"col-12 col-md-6 body-xs px-15 pe-md-0 ps-md-30 py-15 m-0 text-center\">One of the tamer images from the performer\u2019s social media. Others sent to librarians, according to records The Federalist obtained, included nudity, explicit sexual content, illicit drug use, and anti-Christian profanity.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Cross-Library Marketing Push<\/h2>\n<p>While LGBT programming bothers some library patrons, it delights others, Gerrish said, and the library strives to offer \u201csomething for everyone\u201d: \u201cGenerally for an adult program we are lucky to get 10 people. We have 60 registered\u201d for Glamour\u2019s adults-only evening program at the library. The number of participants in the children\u2019s storytime was not available, she told The Federalist in an email, because \u201cWe do not take registrations for Storytime events.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The records showed librarians marketing the drag events to regional youth librarians, LGBT clubs in public schools, and LGBT support groups. One such group a Collinsville librarian contacted to recruit event attendees <a href=\"https:\/\/www.plannedparenthood.org\/planned-parenthood-st-louis-region-southwest-missouri\/patients\/our-services\/transgender-care\">partners<\/a> with abortion giant Planned Parenthood to supply people with cross-sex hormones.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"626\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/CollinsvilleEmail11-Collinsville-Childrens-Librarian-Asks-Trannies-to-Come-1024x626-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-278282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/CollinsvilleEmail11-Collinsville-Childrens-Librarian-Asks-Trannies-to-Come-1024x626-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/CollinsvilleEmail11-Collinsville-Childrens-Librarian-Asks-Trannies-to-Come-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/CollinsvilleEmail11-Collinsville-Childrens-Librarian-Asks-Trannies-to-Come-768x469-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/CollinsvilleEmail11-Collinsville-Childrens-Librarian-Asks-Trannies-to-Come.jpg 1142w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The emails also show Glen Carbon Youth Services Director Aimee Villet advertised her library\u2019s drag storytime on a regional listserv for youth librarians. Her subject line was \u201cDrag for Pride.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFeel free to attend either program and share this information with any of your families or patrons who may be interested,\u201d she told fellow youth librarians on public payrolls. The emails show she received positive messages back from other librarians.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"426\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/VILLETT-DRAG-FOR-PRIDE.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-278283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/VILLETT-DRAG-FOR-PRIDE.jpg 426w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/VILLETT-DRAG-FOR-PRIDE-187x300.jpg 187w\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>Pastors: \u2018A World Gone Mad\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Upon being alerted their libraries were to feature these performers, local pastors were at first stunned but then quickly took action, said Heath Curtis, the pastor of both Trinity and Zion Lutheran churches in nearby Worden and Carpenter, Illinois.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt sounds silly that it caught us off guard, but it caught us off guard. We\u2019re very much small-town America, and didn\u2019t really think anyone would be pushing this in our community,\u201d Curtis told The Federalist in a phone interview.<\/p>\n<p>Soon after fellow pastors began discussing the news by text and email, Curtis drafted a statement. The pastors quickly circulated it for signatures, then released it to local media, which included it in their coverage. The emails The Federalist obtained from librarians show them noticing how effective the pastors\u2019 media outreach was in elevating local dissent and generating coverage in multiple local outlets that resulted in reporter phone calls to the libraries.<\/p>\n<p>The pastors also joined a local Assemblies of God church\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.collinsvilledailynews.com\/news\/peaceful-prayer-protest-held-at-library-friday-morning\/article_78da261a-e359-11ec-9146-5b0d9676c265.html\">public event<\/a> protesting public institutions sexualizing children. There, they read their statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInviting a drag queen to perform for children is intended to introduce children to sexually explicit themes. In the words of the Illinois statute, it is \u2018prurient.\u2019 It is contrary to common sense, natural law, and all that is good and holy,\u201d the statement says. \u201c\u2026Our communities deserve better from their public servants. We strive to make our churches places of refuge from a world gone mad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Curtis noted the church scheduled its public prayer two hours earlier than the storytime to avoid the appearance of threatening attendees. He also said it is all Christians\u2019 duty to work to prevent sexual evils from being perpetrated against the most vulnerable in society, including children and those with destabilized senses of identity due often to trauma.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is the church\u2019s prophetic role to stand up and say what is right and wrong in society,\u201d Curtis told The Federalist. \u201cAlso to make sure people understand that the gospel calls for repentance and forgiveness of sins.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Curtis said he hopes more Christians come together locally and across denominational lines to protect the innocence of children and the use of public institutions to destabilize people\u2019s identities: \u201cIf sexualizing and sexually grooming children isn\u2019t your bright line for the church to speak publicly, I want to know what your bright line is.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2>From Illinois to Montana<\/h2>\n<p>The pastors in Illinois also inspired action all the way across the United States, thanks to denominational connections. An entire church body in Montana used phrases from the Illinois pastors\u2019 letter in their public objections to another June drag show for children, stating, \u201cEach child deserves the protection and care not only of his parents, but also of the community at large and it is simply evil to expose children to sexually explicit themes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The letter from the Montana district of the Bible-confessing Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod denomination was followed by its president, Rev. Terry Forke, writing to local newspapers about a drag show for kids held on June 22 at Zoo Montana: \u201cChristians do not warn their neighbors against unhealthy behaviors because they hate them. Christians, above all, want what is best for their neighbors,\u201d Forke wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The Montana Family Alliance, Dick Pence of Big Sky Worldview Forum, and the Montana Family Rights Alliance Facebook group spread the word about the drag show and the names of large zoo sponsors so people could voice their opinions about the event.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple pastors also joined a peaceful protest of approximately 200 people at the zoo. Pastor Willis McCall of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Billings, Montana, participated and said public statements and protests are good, yet Christians should also do more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, Bible studies are great. But if it\u2019s just a Bible study at your church with everybody there who probably agrees with you, how do you put that into action and actually impact people in your community who don\u2019t know that?\u201d McCall prompted.<\/p>\n<p>Pastors need to equip their people to talk to their friends and neighbors about our culture\u2019s sexual chaos. And all Christians need to make a point to proclaim their moral reasoning in public, host counter-events such as their own public readings of the Bible and high-quality literary works, and work politically to protect children from sexual aggression, McCall suggested. <\/p>\n<p>That means \u201cone of the best first things you can do is get your kids out of public school. You cannot come up with a good reason to put them in,\u201d he told The Federalist. That\u2019s because children don\u2019t belong on the frontlines of spiritual battles; adults do.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Pastor-McCall-at-Montana-Zoo.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-278284\" width=\"464\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Pastor-McCall-at-Montana-Zoo.jpg 516w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Pastor-McCall-at-Montana-Zoo-257x300-1.jpg 257w\" \/><\/p>\n<p><figcaption class=\"col-12 col-md-6 body-xs px-15 pe-md-0 ps-md-30 py-15 m-0 text-center\">Pastor McCall protesting the Zoo Montana drag event. <br \/>Image courtesy Dick Pence \/ Big Sky Worldview Forum<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Walking the Talk<\/h2>\n<p>Back in Collinsville and Glen Carbon, Illinois, locals are already putting McCall\u2019s thoughts into action, not only with the ballot question but also with challenges to local library trustees who won\u2019t act to protect children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShall tax-supported libraries and schools promote drag queen events to minors?\u201d reads the question that will appear on November\u2019s local ballots thanks to local signature-gatherers.<\/p>\n<p>Collecting signatures and placing the question on ballots helps educate townspeople on what their institutions are doing, Prenzler said, since many still don\u2019t know. It also sets the stage for the library trustees\u2019 elections in April.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I really hope happens in our community, is that the people in these conservative traditional biblical churches, I hope we sweep the library board elections next time,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cI am very much against retreating to the Christian ghetto. We need to speak, we need to pray, and we need to act.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\n<p><figcaption class=\"col-12 col-md-6 body-xs px-15 pe-md-0 ps-md-30 py-15 m-0 text-center\">Maxi Glamour, left, on YouTube (image altered to obscure nudity) \/ screenshot<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">\n  Joy Pullmann is executive editor of The Federalist, a happy wife, and the mother of six children. <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/iX1dsZnedpJjPMoP7\">Sign up here to get early access<\/a> to her next ebook, &#8220;101 Strategies For Living Well Amid Inflation.&#8221; Her bestselling ebook is &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/payhip.com\/b\/R1JL\">Classic Books for Young Children<\/a>.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Mrs. Pullmann identifies as native American and gender natural. She is also the author of &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Education-Invasion-Parents-Control-American\/dp\/1594038813\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1486730068&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=education+invasion\">The Education Invasion: How Common Core Fights Parents for Control of American Kids<\/a>,&#8221; from Encounter Books. In 2013-14 she won a Robert Novak journalism fellowship for in-depth reporting on Common Core national education mandates. <\/p>\n<p>Joy is a grateful graduate of the Hillsdale College honors and journalism programs.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-comments mt-30 mt-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-comments-container d-flex flex-column align-items-center py-30\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"110\" height=\"106\" src=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/fdrlst-mark.svg\" class=\"img-fluid mb-20\" alt=\"The Federalist logo eagle mark\" \/>    <\/p>\n<p>Unlock commenting by joining the Federalist Community.<\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/plans\/pricing\/\" class=\"btn btn-on-white\">Subscribe<\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the end of this article is an image in which nudity has been obscured. This summer, small public libraries in Illinois and a zoo in Montana joined a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":519,"featured_media":1626219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1626217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1626217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/519"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1626217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1626217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1626219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1626217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1626217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1626217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}