Members of the Pima County Republican Party joined a local church’s protest against a drag queen story hour held at a Tucson book store, receiving public support from an Arizona state senator who passed a bill to restrict children’s access to adult entertainment venues only to have it vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs.

Tucson parents and members of The Bridge Church were joined by members of the Pima County Republican Party on Sunday to protest a drag queen story hour held at Bookmans, who called the event one of its “most popular childhood literacy events” in its promotional materials. This drag queen story hour appears to have been postponed since March when the store blamed a “harassment campaign” that was “spearheaded by The Bridge Church” and conservative men’s group the Proud Boys for sparking security concerns.

Maricopa County Young Republicans chairman Luke Mosiman posted a video showing more than 36 people gathered for the protest, many holding handmade signs. One group had a banner claiming “Bookmans is grooming kids with drag” in temperatures that reached as high as 112 degrees.

The Pima County Republican Party thanked the church for inviting them to the protest in a tweet, adding images of protesters holding American flags and signs deriding the bookstore.

“Children DO NOT need to be sexualized,” the Republicans added in their post. “They need to be protected.”

State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson) expressed her support for the protest, writing online that she was “so proud of Tucson Parents for standing up for the safety and innocence of children” at the event. Defending the protesters on Twitter, Wadsack described the group as “hardworking fathers” who “didn’t like what they saw” and resolved to protest.

Wadsack also noted that Hobbs vetoed SB 1698, which would have made it illegal for children to view or attend adult-oriented performances or venues, including drag shows, and defined such behavior as child abuse. Offenders could have faced up to 10 years behind bars for the crime.

“Had she signed it, the innocence of children would have been protected,” wrote Wadsack. The senator added that any drag shows “18 and over” and intended for adults “were not affected by the bill.” Wadsack asserted that “Democrats have gaslighted the public” to “continue to cover for these groomers.”

In April, the progressive Phoenix New Times named Hobbs the “Veto Queen” after she vetoed 37 mostly Republican bills. Hobbs has since upped the total to 142 bills vetoed, surpassing a previous record for most vetoes in a single session set by Governor Janet Napolitano, a fellow Democrat who vetoed 58 bills in 2005, and then 43 bills in 2006.

Related bills vetoed by Hobbs include SB 1026, introduced by State Senator John Kavanagh (R-Maricopa), which would have banned using Arizona tax dollars to fund drag shows targeting minors; SB 1028, introduced by State Senator Anthony Kern (R-Glendale), which would have banned “adult cabaret performances” on public property or in view of minors; and SB 1030, also introduced by Kern, which would have required Arizona counties to regulate businesses that offer “sexually explicit performances.”

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Tom Pappert is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Tom on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Pima County Republican Party Members” by Pima County Republican Party Members. 

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