A group of drag queens and activists dressed in black and white showed up Friday at the Fayetteville Public Library in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to protest actor-author Kirk Cameron’s history event for families and children, according to book publisher Brave Books, whose staff attended present at the reading.
The drag queens blocked the view of some families and children and distracted others from the book reading and remarks from the stage, Brave Books said.
The publisher shared photos taken by staff on site.
Los Angeles-based Cameron, an outspoken Christian who has traveled across the country to public libraries to share messages of faith, family and country by reading children’s books and singing patriotic songs, told Fox News Digital in exclusive comments Saturday morning that he found the disturbances disturbing.
“The small group of protesters, which included some grown men wearing silly makeup, dressed in skirts and heels, who pretended to be women, listened to the reading of a children’s book about God’s view of gender called ‘Elephants Are Not Birds’ .” he told Fox News Digital in an email sent Saturday.
“At the end of this sweet and funny story about a singing elephant named Kevin, who was tricked by a vulture named ‘Culture’ into thinking he might be a bird, the reader then asked the 300 children: ‘Do you think you that elephants can be birds even if they don silly wings and a beak?’”
Cameron added: “In unison and with great laughter, all 300 children happily admitted, no!”
Cameron also said, “I was sorry for the men in skirts. As it is written, ‘You have taught the little children to praise you perfectly. May their example put your enemies to shame and silence your enemies” (Psalm 8: 2).
Brave Books, which helped organize the event, told Fox News Digital that about 500 “enthusiastic” parents, grandparents and children attended the event in total.
Brave Books said there were “protesters present” both inside and outside the library.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Fayetteville Public Library for comment.
This was the sixth stop for Cameron and Brave Books on what they call their “Freedom Island Tour,” so named for the series of illustrated children’s books published by Brave Books, a conservative publisher.
Cameron’s own book, “As You Grow,” is about an acorn that grows and blossoms into a great tree.
The publisher said its staff were “met with resistance from protesters attending the history lesson inside the library.”
It said that “some men dressed as women were wearing colorful clothes. Some had signs that we were spreading a hateful message.”
The so-called “hateful message” that the protesters took was apparently a reference to the content of Cameron’s children’s book, “As You Grow”, which teaches children about the fruits of the spirit, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self-control.
The publisher told Fox News Digital in a statement: “It was such a joy to see families and their children enjoying such a good time with Kirk Cameron and his story class.”
It continued: “Unfortunately, the young children in attendance were forced to see men dressed as women, men wearing bright rainbow colors and individuals with black and white paint covering their bodies.”
The publisher also said, “Many of these individuals were holding signs blocking the view of the children and parents. It was a shame that they decided to come out and disturb such a beautiful scene at the Fayetteville Public Library.”
Zac Bell, Brave Books’ chief of staff, who was in attendance at the event, told Fox News Digital, “Coming to Fayetteville, Arkansas, we expected a ton of supportive Christian and conservative families to show up. What we didn’t expected, was that a group of drag queens and activists participated and walked up and down the event – giving the children in attendance the jewelry.”
He continued, “Their dress was a strange sort of black dress garment, and they wore demonic face paint.”
Trent Talbot, the Texas-based CEO and founder of Brave Books, told Fox News Digital on Saturday, “We’ve said the left is preying on our kids and they’re sheepishly trying to turn us on — calling us conspiracy theorists.”
He added, “On Friday in Fayetteville, a group of drag queens dressed in demonic outfits showed up to a children’s book reading filled with conservative and Christian parents and their children.”
He also said: “All these drag queens wanted was to force disturbing views on these innocent children. The Left’s predatory drive is just another conspiracy theory exposed as fact.”
Cameron, along with Brave Books, also recently appeared in Hendersonville, Tennessee, for a children’s story event.
As a result of “unfriendly pushback” against Cameron and his team connected to the program they held, a library employee ended up being fired.
Previously, Cameron has performed in other cities that include Indianapolis, Indiana and Scarsdale, New York.
Previously, as many as 50 libraries had rejected or ignored Cameron’s requests to reserve space in their facilities, with some claiming the messages were not aligned with their programming. Since then, Cameron and his publisher said, many other libraries have welcomed them and invited them to speak.
Cameron plans to continue visiting and traveling to public libraries across the country. Stops still pending include Denver, Colorado; Washington DC; and New York City.