Organizers in the City of Brotherly Love broke a world record after recently hosting the largest-ever drag queen story hour event where children were read LGBTQI+ stories and exposed to gender ideology.
The event was held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on June 1. It was sponsored by Philly's official tourism bureau, Visit Philadelphia, and organized by Philadelphia Gay News.
The event attracted 268 attendees, a mix of both adults and children. A Guinness World Records adjudicator was present at the event and verified the world record, which is the first time the award has been given.
Children's books that were read to the young audience included "Twas the Night Before Pride" by Joanna McClintick and "The Family Book" by Todd Parr, which both touch on LGBTQI+ culture.
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"Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows" by Jessika von Innerebner, "Hello, Philadelphia!" by Martha Day Zschock and "Elmer" by David McKee were also read by drag queens at the event.
In an X post on Saturday, Visit Philadelphia touted the record-breaking event, which it said "brought together famed Philadelphia drag performers."
"Philadelphia, the birthplace of America, today secured a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the 'largest attendance at a drag queen story time reading,'" the post reads.
According to Visit Philadelphia's 2023 annual report, the organization disclosed that it received $16.6 million in funding. Eighty-four percent of its funding came from Philadelphia's hotel tax and 9% came from "grants and contributions." When Fox News Digital inquired if the drag queen story time event was funded by taxpayers, Visit Philadelphia did not immediately respond.
In a statement obtained by the Associated Press, Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal called the event "history-making."
"[C]reating history-making moments like we’ve done today, hosted on land synonymous with our country’s fight for fundamental rights and freedom, serves as a powerful reminder of the resiliency, talent and culture that make up the fabric of our great American city," he said.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Guinness World Records and Visit Philadelphia for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
