Overview
- The Madison Heights City Council voted 4–3 in a special meeting on June 1 to remove the drag queen story hour from the Arts and Pride Festival lineup over concerns about whether it was family friendly.
- The decision drew immediate criticism from festival organizers and volunteers who say the reader, the book and the outfit were vetted over months by the Arts Board and the Arts & Pride Planning Committee.
- The booked performer, Jadein Black, a K–12 educator who does family-friendly readings, pushed back publicly and sought an alternative venue while defending drag as educational and not predatory.
- After public outcry and organizer appeals, the council reversed course and reinstated the story time to run Sunday at 1 p.m., with the mayor arranging police presence to maintain safety at Civic Center Park.
- The dispute highlights a wider issue of who sets standards for city-associated events and could affect future festival planning and trust between volunteer organizers and municipal officials.