Cedar Park Council Members Criticized For Protesting Drag Queens

CEDAR PARK, TX — Continued criticism over three Cedar Park council members' attendance at a protest against a drag queen story hour in Leander spilled into their last meeting on Thursday.

One council member, Rodney Robinson, acknowledged having made a mistake in attending the demonstration as he publicly apologized for his actions, as Hill Country News reported. The controversy stems from a recent protest after the Leander Public Library hosted a story hour for children with drag queens as storytellers. The library canceled the event amid the controversy before a church espousing tolerance took over as the organizer.

“I want to apologize for my behavior," Robinson said, as quoted by Hill Country News. "It’s not the best thing to do as a council member because I represent all people. The last thing I want to do is give the impression I favor one group over another.”

Related story: Drag Queen Story Hour Still On In Leander, With Different Host

Two other council members attending the protest, Dorian Chavez and Tim Kelly, have declined to issue similar apologies. The two have based their lack of regret in attending the protest by suggesting they were there merely as observers, not active protesters.

“I don’t feel the need to apologize for my actions as a citizen, which had nothing to do with this city,” Kelly said, as quoted by the newspaper. “We did not give up our rights and we’re not held to a higher standard. We’re held to the same standard as everyone else.”

Chavez went further in his own defense on social media, where he posted a video expressing his opposition to the drag queen event. "I do not want sex offenders, pedophiles or adult entertainers reading to children in our community," he said in part. "I believe it is our responsibility to identify risk and mitigate it. Adults without a proper background check and/or a history of sexual misconduct reading to children is a risk."

>>> Read the full story at Hill Country News