One year ago, our community faced one of the toughest challenges that communities across the country are struggling to deal with: diversity and acceptance. I am positive that my memory of the weeks and days leading up to the very first Drag Queen Story Time in 2019 will never be forgotten, because they were some of the most grueling, mentally-challenging and rewarding of my life.
In the weeks leading up to the event, I received nearly daily phone calls from people across the country expressing their opinions on how our community should react; specifically, how/if we would stop the event from taking place. Most of these calls were from people well outside Lansdale (Texas, Missouri, Alabama, Nevada, to name a few), some of whom when pressed to identify Lansdale on a map couldn’t do it. On top of the phone calls, emails would flood my inbox daily from these same groups expressing their opinions even more fervently. Now, I do not want to sugar coat this at all. Some of these emails and calls were violent in nature. Multiple were threats on my life, on the lives of my family, on the lives of staff, and lives in the community. These messages were credible, hate-filled, bigoted, senseless, and cruel. They revealed a section of society that is rarely discussed and, unfortunately, continues to torment minority groups across the country every day.
On top of the very real and credible threats Lansdale was receiving, the community was facing internal division. People from across the community were trying to come to grips with the “proper” use of public property and what, if any, the role of local government is to stop a legitimate use of that property by a tax-paying resident for an event that involves children whose parents have elected to bring them to it.
Emotions, opinions, and fear were at a fever pitch in the days leading up to the event.
Then something truly amazing happened. As the darkness of division threatened to engulf our community, a ray of light rose up to meet it. Community members from across the region came together to oppose bigotry, to oppose hate, to stand not just with one another, but for one another in a peaceful and protective way. We united as a community to show that love, respect, and dignity are still central tenets to our culture, and that Lansdale will stand defiant to those who look to divide us.
In the end, what began as a divided event with differing opinions resulted in both groups delivering one of the largest food drives in our community. Thousands of pounds of food were donated to Manna on Main Street by the end of the day, and there was not a single incident that required police intervention. Meanwhile, in the library, hundreds of kids were entertained to stories about acceptance, both of yourself, and of others. Much of the success of that day was made possible by the intrepid work of our Lansdale Police Department. They managed an extremely difficult situation with care, sensitivity, respect, and honor. We are all forever grateful for their dedication on that day.
Looking back on our first “Inclusion Day” reminds me of how hopeful our future is. Every day, the news reminds us of how different we all are and how difficult it is to see a future where we all stand united. But, one year ago, I watched us come together as a community and be a bright spot of hope in an otherwise complex and divided world. I am incredibly proud of how our community came together and I am forever hopeful that we can continue to build a community for our children that is more inclusive, accepting, and comforting for all of us.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Establishing A Foundation For Future Generations
Mayoral Musings: Remembering Doctor King
Mayoral Musings: A Decade Of Infrastructure Upgrades To Come
Mayoral Musings: 5G And The Technological Future Of Lansdale
Mayoral Musings: The Dawning Of New Decade For Lansdale
