Organizers of a drag queen story time event at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia say several hundred people helped set a world record for attendance at such an event to start Pride Month celebrations in the city where America began.
The event, held on Saturday and hosted by the Philadelphia Gay News with sponsorship from Visit Philadelphia, featured Philadelphia drag performers reading children’s stories to 263 participants, marking a first-ever Guinness World Record in this category.
Performers read from books including “Hello, Philadelphia!” by Martha Day Zschock, “’Twas the Night Before Pride” by Joanna McClintick, “Elmer” by David Mckee, “The Family Book” by Todd Parr, and “Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows” by Jessika von Innerebner, according to organizers.
Merit Badges and rainbow neckerchief on a Boy Scout (Ben Starc/Shutterstock)
Mark Segal, publisher of Philadelphia Gay News, highlighted that “creating historic moments like we achieved today, hosted on land synonymous with our country’s struggle for fundamental rights and freedom, reminds us of the resilience, talent, and culture that define our great American city.”
Guinness representatives were contacted earlier for comment. The Guinness website mentions a June 2023 record for the largest attendance at a drag brunch, with 412 participants in Brooklyn, New York.
