SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- San Diego Libraries kicked off Pride Month on Tuesday with a reading from Sienna, who spoke to children about inclusion and acceptance.
Dressed as a mermaid, she stood in front of a dozen children and their parents at the Rolando-College branch and said, "I just came from the ocean."
She treated the audience to a reading of "The Rainbowfish," then gave a lesson in signature mermaid moves. For the group, it was a welcome change after the isolation of the coronavirus pandemic.
As of Tuesday, 26 libraries were open for in-person services. The event at the Rolando-College branch was the first of four Pride-themed readings this month, in which drag queens read stories to children with a message of inclusion and diversity.
The city has two more readings on Saturday, at 11 a.m. at the Kensington/Normal Heights Branch and at the Logan Heights Branch. On Saturday, July 17, another will take place at 11 a.m. at the City Heights/Weingart Library
"I saw this pop-up and I knew it would be fun," said Danielle Salgado, who brought her son Benjamin, 2, and daughter Dahlia, 5. "I want them to grow up and feel comfortable with whoever they grow up to be, so I think that these are great opportunities to do that in a very family-friendly way."
In 2019, a similar event in Chula Vista led to protests. But Sienna's reading Tuesday went off without a hitch. She said she wanted to share a message of, "learning how to be happy within yourself and also be kind to others that are around you."
It's a lesson she hopes stays with the kids, long after she's back at sea.
