A decade ago, a free program with a unique concept — drag performers reading children’s books — launched in San Francisco.
Dubbed “Drag Queen Story Hour,” the inaugural event took place on a Saturday afternoon in the Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Library Branch in the Castro.
Its very first storyteller, Per Sia, wore a black-and-silver-sequined striped dress and a red beret with matching crimson heels and lipstick as she read to a captivated crowd.
Now called “Drag Story Hour” to reflect the gender diversity of its royal storytellers, the program is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a special event at the San Francisco Main Library on Sunday.
Drag artists, including Per Sia, will read selected books from noon to 4 p.m., followed by an honors ceremony and the adult book club, “Queer Visitors,” hosted by fellow veteran storyteller Lil Miss Hot Mess.
Per Sia was recently named the City and County of San Francisco’s second “Drag Laureate,” selected by a committee including San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, Sister Roma and Sister Shalita Corndog of the philanthropic nun group Sisters of the Perpetual Indulgence, and Cristina Mitra, manager of the public library’s Hormel LGBTQIA Center.
She will follow in the stilettos of D’Arcy Drollinger, the city’s first Drag Laureate, and act as an ambassador for the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s been such a beautiful honor and privilege to be celebrated during such turbulent political times,” she said. “It brings me so much joy, so much emotion, to have had this moment where a person like me — a trans Latina drag queen, a child of immigrants, an educator — is celebrated.”
Drag Story Hour was co-created by Michelle Tea, a former San Francisco resident and the author of several books such as “Valencia.” Tea also founded the nonprofit literary arts organization RADAR Productions.
Since its inception in 2015, the program has expanded to other library branches, as well as to schools, bookstores, art museums and community centers. It now boasts 30 chapters, with national affiliates in Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, Chicago and other states and a presence in countries like Sweden, Australia, Germany and Japan.
At the same time, Drag Story Hour has become a lightning rod for conservatives, who have assembled at some locations to protest readings and intimidate the storytellers. Several states and countries have sought to ban the events.
Per Sia, who lives in the Mission, remains in awe of how far the story hour has come.
“I was returning some books last week [at the Eureka Valley branch], and it just dawned on me how much time has gone by, but also how much I’ve grown as a person and how much this program has grown from being an idea that Michelle Tea started to now being an international program,” she said. “It’s just kind of wild to just think about.”
She’s been busy preparing for the anniversary event while balancing her job as a lead first grade teacher in the after school program CASA (Children’s After School Arts) at SFUSD’s Rooftop Elementary, where she’s worked for 20 years.
During her story-hour visits to local institutions, Per Sia reads a few books, does a couple of lip-sync performances and oversees a hands-on art project. On some days, she’s got a full schedule, heading to different locations: A kindergarten classroom, middle and high schools, a senior center, a university.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s really magic,” she said. “For me, I know I’ve been successful when the kids are happy, and also the adults. I try to bring that inner child out of every adult.”
For Per Sia, leading with queer joy — a key component of Drag Story Hour — has been a way to respond to critics. A year ago, she wrote a comic book, “Socrates and Me,” (illustrated by Ali R. Blake), in which she details how meaningful it is to connect with others through her storytelling.
“The beauty about this program is that we read stories of all kinds — about gender, but also about different cultures, different ways of life, [and] the environment,” she said. “They’re stories that really uplift not just one community, but humanity.”
“Ten Years of Stories at SFPL” gets underway Sunday, Dec. 14 at noon at the San Francisco Main Library at 100 Larkin St.
For free tickets to the event, go here.
Drag Story Hours will take place from noon to 4 p.m. in the Children’s Center on the 2nd floor.
A ceremony honoring DSH pioneers will follow from 4 to 4:30 p.m. in the atrium.
The adult-centered “Queer Visitors Book Club: A Literary Drag Salon” will take place in the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center, located on the 3rd floor, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.