UpFront

Two-years into abolishing Oakland’s school police; Plus, the magic of Drag Queen Story Hour

Lil Miss Hot Mess discusses Drag Queen Story Hour, and reads us a few of her own books | Lil Miss Hot Mess / Book Soup

0:08 – Two years after the Oakland Unified School District passed the George Floyd Resolution, which completely dismantled their school police department, we speak with Ebony Johnson, a staff organizer with the Black Organizing Project who was at the forefront of the push to dismantle.

0:33 – As we head into Pride weekend less than two weeks after homophobic and transphobic slurs shut down a drag queen reading event at the San Lorenzo Public Library, we speak with Lil Miss Hot Mess (@LilMissHotMess), a drag queen, children’s book author, and board member of the international organization Drag Queen Story Hour (@dqshtweets). Near the end of the episode, she gives us a short reading. For the full in-person experience, Lil Miss Hot Mess will be reading live at Black Bird Bookstore, in the Outer Sunset in San Francisco. The event will be outdoors, at 11am on July 9th.