LANCASTER, PA— On Saturday, a suspicious package was found outside the Lancaster Public Library that prompted the cancelation of a planned event.
A controversial “Drag Queen Story Hour” event at the Lancaster Public Library was canceled on Saturday due to security concerns. This decision came after a suspicious package led to the evacuation of two city blocks. Authorities, including a state police bomb squad, investigated the situation and later deemed the library safe. Despite this, the investigation into “additional reported threats” is ongoing.
Residents of the affected areas were required to evacuate but could return home several hours later. A city spokesperson informed LancasterOnline that a detection dog had signaled the package, which was found to contain harmless items. Nonetheless, the city received further threatening emails after the package was examined.
Lancaster Pride, the non-profit organization behind the event, announced on social media that it would cancel the “Drag Story Hour with Miss Amie”, prioritizing community safety. The announcement followed a heated debate at a recent county commissioners meeting, where the event faced significant opposition. Some commissioners criticized the event, arguing that libraries should not serve as venues for promoting what they described as political or social agendas.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of support from our community as we work to process today’s events together. While we support the freedom of speech: we stand firm and cannot and we will not let hate, fear, and intimidation stop our collective movement for love and support for all. Many have been asking how to help, and in truth we are still determining the best way to channel all of this incredible energy,” the group posed on social media.
The community’s response included a prayer vigil opposing the event. Following the cancellation and threats, Commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray D’Agostino condemned the actions that led to the event’s disruption, advocating for the prosecution of those responsible for the threats, irrespective of their motivations.