‘I’m livid’: Republicans called out for denying Arizona town funds over library drag events

U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva is calling out congressional Republicans for denying funds for an Arizona library that hosted two drag events in 2019 and 2024.

Grijalva, a Democrat representing Arizona, submitted a funding request for structural repairs at the town of Bisbee’s Copper Queen Library in February as part of the annual budget appropriation process.

But the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture denied her request, and Grijalva said staffers involved in the spending negotiations told her the decision came after Republican committee members learned the library had previously hosted the two drag events.

“It was a drag story time, reading to kids who love it,” Grijalva told The Advocate. “People kept stopping me, saying, ‘I can’t believe they’re not going to fund our library.’ … The community is really, really upset about it.”

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In recent years, libraries have become a source of partisan tension, with Republicans claiming that libraries are politically biased in favor of the left and help youth access LGBTQ+ content. Conservative politicians and influencers have taken particular aim at drag performances at libraries, alleging they are inappropriate for children to attend, even when catered explicitly to children, like drag storytimes and book readings.

The funds would have been issued to Copper Queen Library in fiscal year 2027 to help fund roofing and flooring at the building, according to Grijalva’s office. The congresswoman requested $649,330 for the project, which was on the lower end of funding requests, with some other projects seeking millions of dollars.

“This was really just a nominal amount for this library that is a regional resource,” she said. “It is a hub for that rural community and all the communities around it, so I’m livid.”

The library was one of just two projects that the subcommittee rejected, according to Grijalva’s office. The congresswoman said the refusal to fund it is part of a broader effort by Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration to “cut off access to information,” from the free press to the nation’s public library system.

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In December, Grijalva and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, introduced the Right to Read Act into Congress, seeking to raise federal investment in literacy resources for school libraries nationwide. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce in December and has not received further legislative action since.

Despite the federal setbacks, Grijalva said she remains committed to supporting public libraries, including the one in Bisbee.

“They didn’t cut this project on the merits of the project, because a roof and some basic infrastructure improvements [are] definitely in line with what our funding is supposed to cover,” Grijalva. “They’re just so obsessed with policing identity and expression that they’re willing to punish everybody.”