You’re Not Alone, and the Kirk Cameron Story Hour Proves It

Drag Queen Story Hours have increasingly grown in popularity among many public libraries.

One such story hour was held at Maryland’s Kensington Park Library in July of 2022. The library stated that “Drag Queen Hour captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity in childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models.” There have been many news stories detailing the events, the protestors’ responses, and the story hours’ declared successes.

When reading the headlines and articles, my heart often sinks in discouragement. In a country that was once founded upon Christian principles, we are witnessing a continual rebellion against God and His Word.

When God clearly tells us that He created mankind as male and female, the world rejects such design in exchange for autonomy and gender fluidity. When Drag Queen Story Hours seem normative and the rejection of such is considered hateful and unloving, some Christians are tempted to cave into the pressure or merely hide away until Jesus’ return.

We are terrified of being the minority, dwelling alone in our stance for truth.

But you are not the minority, and you are not alone.

You Are Not Alone

On Thursday, December 29, 2022, I had the great privilege of attending a story hour at the Indianapolis Public Library, held by Kirk Cameron, a Christian actor and evangelist. In response to the Drag Queen Story Hours that have been sweeping the nation, Cameron read his recent children’s book, “As You Grow,” a story exploring the fruit of the Spirit and biblical character qualities for children.

But Cameron’s desire to schedule a story hour was rejected by the over fifty libraries he reached out to, one library stating, “Thank you for thinking of us, but we are not interested in this program.” Such refusal to allow Cameron to rent a room in the public library, a supposedly equal opportunity for every individual, while enthusiastically endorsing Drag Queen Story Hours is a violation of our First Amendment freedom of speech and practice of religion. Two libraries finally caved after Cameron declared he was prepared to pursue legal action to protect his First Amendment rights.

One of those libraries was my own local library, the Indianapolis Public Library.

When my family of eight hopped into our minivan and made our way downtown, we expected to be immediately ushered into a small reading room along with perhaps twenty to fifty people.

But we were wondrously mistaken.

Climbing several floors to reach the top floor of the library, we immediately realized that this was no small event. The line of people wrapped around the aisles of library books throughout the sixth floor of the library.

Shockingly, the people kept showing up.

After waiting in line for thirty minutes, we were told that Kirk Cameron would now do two different readings to accommodate the abundance of people crammed into the massive library. We were later told that we would be unable to participate in Cameron’s reading hour.

But we stayed anyway. Though they encouraged us to leave, we stayed. Not so we could find a way to see Kirk Cameron or experience the story hour, but so we could take a stand. A stand that we all believed in.

You Are Not the Minority

Despite what is perceived through social media, news channels, entertainment, and secular education, you are not the minority.

Not yet, that is.

Many Drag Queen Story Hours have taken place in the years since 2015, when the first Drag Queen Story Hour was held. In the one on September 24, 2022, at the St. Paul library in Minnesota, there were over 100 people in attendance. On May 17, 2022, at the Taunton Public Library in Massachusetts, the Drag Queen Story Hour was declared a success when around 65 to 70 people were in attendance, and at another Drag Queen Story Hour held at Redwood City Public Library in California on November 28, 2022, a slightly larger crowd of 125 children and adults gathered.

Such numbers can be immensely discouraging to those who uphold God’s design for gender, the differing roles of males and females, and biblical marriage. We desperately want to know that we do not stand alone in this fight for God, His rule, and His Word.

This Thursday at the Indianapolis Public Library, I realized that I do not stand alone.

Never in the 137 years of the Indianapolis Public Library has such a massive gathering showed up at an event at this library. Kirk Cameron’s story hour, which was not even featured on the events schedule on the library’s website, drew in over 2,500 who wanted to make a stand for truth.

In a world where actor Chris Evans calls conservative Christians “idiots”, whom he claims will “die off like dinosaurs,” where Drag Queen Story Hours are being pushed upon young and impressionable children, and where Disney animated films are filled with the LGBTQ+ agenda, it is tempting to feel like the foolish ones who stand alone.

But a recent poll shows that the majority of parents consider Drag Queen Story Hours inappropriate for their children. Even the most recent Disney animated films featuring openly gay characters have plummeted at the box office.

But while many make various excuses for the reasons why the popularity of such events and films are bombing, one thing is clear: there are others who stand alongside us, although we may not see them.

I often feel like the prophet, Elijah, when he cries out to God, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men” (1 Kings 18:22). But in response to Elijah’s despair, God promises to set aside 7,000 of God’s people who have not bowed the knee to idols (1 Kings 19:18).

When I stood in the massive crowd of people at the Indianapolis Public Library, I was struck by the sense that I was not the only one. Though we are bombarded by the message that we are the outdated ones whose Christian beliefs will soon expire, we can know that Christ is very much alive and active within His people.

Continue to Stand for Truth

Do not be afraid to stand up alongside your fellow brothers and sisters for what is worth fighting for. Stand up for the truth of God’s Word. Stand up for the helpless. Stand up for God’s infallible design. Stand up against the indoctrination of young children.

God is working through His people, and though the fog of this world may prevent us from seeing the others who are standing with us, we must know that they are there.

The story is not yet over. God has already overcome, and we will one day stand with Him alongside our fellow brothers and sisters when we finally reach our eternal home.