The city of Philadelphia recently set a new Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a drag queen story time event, in celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month.
Over 260 people attended a reading hosted by Philadelphia Gay News and the city’s tourism program at the National Constitution Center.
A Guinness representative formally verified the record.
In honor of Pride 2024, Philly just hosted the largest Drag Queen Story Hour event ever.
The USA was founded here in 1776. pic.twitter.com/Aw8goRXedI
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 2, 2024
“Philadelphia is where our country was founded, where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed and where some of the most significant LGBTQIA+ moments in U.S. history took place,” said Mark Segal, publisher of Philadelphia Gay News.
“Creating 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.”
The organizer said the event serves as a reminder of the diversity and culture that defines Philadelphia, where many important LGBTQ and civil rights moments in American history took place.
Some social media comments noted that the relatively small turnout of under 300 people for a city of 1.6 million indicates that only a vocal minority aims to sexualize children with such events.
Guinness also recognizes the record for most attended drag brunch.
