Clovis hosts Pride Week story hour

By day, Michael Arredondo works as a draftsman at a civil engineering company. By night she is known as Myss Myka.

Arredondo, who lives in Amarillo, has been doing drag for seven years. On Wednesday, she and four other drag performers came to Clovis to host Drag Queen Story Hour at the Youth Recreation Building, part of Clovis Pride Week.

About 80 people attended the event, from babies to small children to teenagers, adult men and women.

Dressed in a full-length floral-patterned gown with matching elbow-length gloves, a voluminous blonde wig fitted with a large tiara, and vibrant purple eye makeup, Myss Myka was the emcee for the evening. She read a book titled "'Twas the Night Before Pride."

Arredondo engaged the room full of people while reading by asking questions and getting the crowd to cheer. The atmosphere in the room was bright. While the event and others like it across the country has its critics, Arredondo said everyone who comes to a drag queen story hour has something to gain.

"The main thing is we're trying to inspire imagination, creativity," she said.

Story hour focus: Community

Arredondo said these are events for the community, and their ultimate goal is to reach people looking for community, love, and value. She said every person who comes to a drag queen story hour takes away something different.

"Because it varies, the kids are there for the stories ... the teens are there to find connection, the adults are there for community, you know, it's all a whole part of the deal. I mean, it's not just one thing," she said.

Laura Wight was a leading Drag Queen Story Hour organizer and co-founder of Eastern New Mexico Rising, a group supporting the LGBTQ+ community and progressive ideas for Clovis and Portales. She said this is the first time the region has hosted a week's worth of Pride events. They were scheduled to wrap up Saturday with a parade in Clovis.

Wight said she doesn't think there is a reason to be upset about drag queen story hour.

"I really think a lot of it is just adults (outside the LGBTQ+ community) projecting their sexuality and their views about sexuality onto children. So Drag Queen Story Hour is not a sexual event. It's not. It's children's books," she said.

Wight said drag performers reading to children showcases children's books about acceptance and love.

"There are some silly books too, you know, but primarily, they're just books about love and acceptance. Children's books about love and acceptance, and how if bodies are different, if bodies look different, if people have different colors of skin or different hairdos, or you know, talk differently ... everybody deserves love and acceptance," she said.

Two men removed from event

Multiple states around the country, including Texas, have passed laws that discourage public drag performances. Several in attendance on Wednesday said they were surprised there was no organized protest outside the Clovis venue.

Wight said her organization rented the Youth Recreation Building at Hillcrest Park to host what she said was a private event. She said they had people watching at the door to monitor who was allowed inside, and there were no obvious protestors.

But not everything went smoothly. There was one brief verbal exchange while performers were interacting with children. Two young men were physically removed from the event after they asked, "What would you do if you were facing God or if you're in front of God, or something like that. And then I believe (one of the performers) responded that she would just twirl," Arredondo said.

Arredondo said members of the crowd immediately jumped up to stifle the two men. "They instantly went up there, instantly blocked them from the crowd, and instantly pulled them out (of the building)," Arredondo said.

Outside the YRB, the two men were seen being physically pushed away from the building and toward their car. One of the men shouted "Don't touch me" and "That's assault."

A reporter for The News attempted to talk to the men after they were removed, but they drove away without comment.

Arredondo said performers are grateful the men were removed. It wasn't because religion was introduced; she said she grew up religious and still believes in a higher power. But everyone's safety felt threatened, Arredondo said, and the incident did not benefit children.

"We don't want the kids to see that. You know what I mean? Because this is a fun, safe environment for them. Why would you want to bring that hostility into the environment where these kids can see that? And they can see the hostility and they can see that animosity going on? We're all just having fun," Arredondo said.

Storyteller: 'And now, there's change'

Lynnette Harris said she attended the story hour because she wanted to see first-hand what happens at such events.

"Part of why I'm here is because I have not been to a drag story hour and I heard all the fuss about what they are doing to our children. So I wanted to come here and see it for myself," she said.

"I mean I have dressed up in a lot of costumes and performed in front of children, telling stories to them. Sometimes I was dressed as a man. Teaching children through story was a huge part of my life and I just think that it's probably OK. I came to see it myself, so that when my conservative friends ask me, I have an answer," she said.

Harris said she is glad to see many area residents more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years.

"I was born in Clovis," she said. "I spent a lot of years living in Portales, I've lived in a lot of places. But over my lifetime there was no change, no change, no change. And now, there's change. I see it in my community."

Arredondo said she will continue to perform as Myss Myka along with drag performer friends, traveling to different cities to help all people feel more seen and more included. Arredondo said drag is not defined by one thing. Drag is a collection of artists and performers, and anyone can participate. Wednesday's show included drag kings and bio queens.

"There was a teen who came to the storytime, and it resonated with them so much and was so grateful to see the [drag] king representation at the storytime because they felt, you know, connected with them. And that's something that inspires them. And it's like, they're not alone. With the variety that we provide, we're here to tell people that they are not alone," Arredondo said.

Madison Willis of The News contributed to this report.