Chicago City Wire

A "Drag Story Time" event happening next week at the Beverly branch of the Chicago Public Library has prompted calls for cancellation from a congressional candidate and a conservative advocacy group.

Christian Maxwell, a Republican candidate for Illinois' 1st Congressional District, is campaigning June 3 event's cancellation. 

Maxwell, a business consultant who is poised for a run against U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), said the event inappropriate for young children and described it as promoting “sexualized content.” 

Part of the library’s Pride Month programming, the event is aimed at children five years old and younger and their caregivers, featuring songs, rhymes, books and activities hosted by children's librarian “Ms. Izabel” and a guest drag performer. 

“Ms. Izabl” is Izabel Gronski, the Children's Librarian at the Chicago Public Library. 

Gronski’s LinkedIn page features a backdrop with an LGBTQ+ pride flag and a Black Lives Matter fist superimposed over it. Prior to joining the Chicago Public Library in 2022, Gronski worked at the Oak Lawn Library for 11 years, 10 of which were spent as the Young Adult Librarian.

LinkedIn account for librarian Izabel Gronski who is hosting the event. (LinkedIn / Izabel Gronski)

“Please join the effort to cancel this event. There is an entire toolkit at the following link with an email, contacts, graphics and tweets! Let's put action with our outrage!” Maxwell said on X.  

Maxwell linked to her campaign website where she provided a sample email and social media posts those opposing the event might send out. 

She framed the opposition as part of a broader national concern about the perceived “sexualization” of youth through public media and library programming.

Maxwell referenced a March 2025 congressional hearing in which lawmakers criticized a PBS children’s segment featuring a drag performer, and the network later lost federal funding over what critics called hyperpartisan content.

Her campaign also argues that drag performances often involve adult themes and are inappropriate for young children, labeling such events as a form of “grooming.” 

Shanon Adcock, founder of parent activist group Awake Illinois, posted about the event on X.  

“I was born at 103rd and Oakley in Beverly & attended the Irish Castle for preschool. Now, Beverly Library is hosting a drag event for babies and kids up to age five,” Adcock said on X. “Insane!” 

“Props to IL Congressional candidate @themodpun for calling it to be cancelled.” 

Dan Proft, co-host of Chicago’s Morning Answer on AM 560 The Answer, criticized the Drag Story Time event in stark terms, suggesting it was part of a broader cultural decline.

"This is for kids age zero to five and their caregivers. You can't start too early when it comes to exposure to scantily clad men gyrating or just engaged in sort of grotesque performances,” Profit said on the May 28 edition of the show. 

Proft also questioned 19th Ward Alderman Matt O’Shea about his awareness and involvement with the event in his ward

“Is Matt O'Shea aware of this?” Profit said. “My reply, 'Does he know about it? Isn't Matt O'Shea the special drag performer?' Because if Matt O'Shea needs to play ball politically by tucking his balls, he is like virtually every other pol and city worker in Chicago, and frankly Illinois, which is to say, happy to oblige. Nothing I won't do to defile myself in order to keep peace politically, keep my phony-baloney job, no static at work.” 

Amy Jacobson, Proft’s co-host, recalled a past event in Downers Grove in which those favoring the child-oriented LGBT themed criticized opponents for “inciting violence.” 

“Who's gonna go down there? We'd love to hear from you,” Jacobson said. “Or are we inciting violence by even suggesting that or asking the question?”

The previous incident Jacobson referenced involved a Downers Grove drag queen bingo event, which at the time prompted a discussion on the show about who might show up to protest it.  

“They interpreted that as an inciting of violence,” Jacobson said. 

“Of course they did. Who cares how they interpret it? They commit violence and they say disagreement is violence,” Proft said.  

Proft’s comments come a week after the politically motivated assassination of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. by Chicago leftist Elias Rodriguez. 

Proft criticized the general tenor of contemporary leftist politics. 

“I don't worry about what's going on between their ears because it's so dismal and uninteresting,” Profit said.  “I worry about the ears of people who know better.”