by Matua Kahurangi
This one was inspired by something I personally find strange, unsettling, and worth talking about. The increasing decision by councils, public libraries, and sometimes schools to invite overtly adult performance culture into spaces designed for children.
As always, this is satire. Dark, rhyming, uncomfortable satire. The kind the Hori McGory series is starting to become known for. It features some interesting cameos!
In this story, Hori decides to see what all the fuss is about. Rather than shouting from the sidelines, he takes his nephew along to a drag storytime event at the Te Atatū Library. If it’s all harmless, educational, and “for the kids”, he figures it’s best to witness it firsthand.
What follows isn’t a spoiler-heavy exposé. It’s an observation. A slow realisation. A creeping sense that something being sold as innocent storytelling doesn’t quite line up with the atmosphere, the messaging, or the people driving it.
As with the rest of the series, the target isn’t individuals. It’s institutions. It’s councils chasing applause. It’s adults projecting politics, identities, and ideology into children’s spaces, then acting surprised when parents feel uneasy about it.
Hori doesn’t arrive looking for a fight. He arrives curious. By the end, he leaves with questions. The same questions a lot of parents quietly ask, but are told they shouldn’t.
Children don’t need ideological theatre. They need stories. Dragons. Adventures. Absurdity. Not lectures wrapped in costumes and slogans. Hell, kids don’t even need Hori McGory!
Can I get this at our woke Kapiti Library ?