Overview
- A 4-3 vote by the Madison Heights City Council on Monday removed a planned Drag Queen Story Time from the June 7 Arts & Pride festival and blocked the $300 booking fee that would have paid the performer.
- Organizers say the booking had been vetted earlier by the Human Resources and Equity Committee and the Madison Heights Arts Board, which reviewed the performer, chosen book and family-friendly presentation.
- The scheduled reader, Jadein Black, a K–12 educator who performs child-focused story times, called the cancellation painful and said she plans to hold an alternative story time at Sidetrack in Ypsilanti this weekend.
- Volunteers and Arts & Pride planners said the council convened a special workshop without consulting them and that the late decision harmed trust and planning for a small, sponsor-funded program.
- Supporters framed the program as literacy and inclusion work while supporters of the council vote said the action reflected resident complaints and the council’s authority to set standards for city-sponsored family events, a dispute that echoes wider national debates over public drag performances.