Amgen to Host Drag Queen Show for Kids 3-11 Years Old

It’s interesting that you take snippets from social media and spin it to something insidious. It shows the desperation. It shows how badly you need a culture war to avoid the actual failings resulting from political decisions in the ballot booth.

No one is forced to attend. No one is required to bring their children if they don’t want to. Just like no one brings children to BARS late at night to see the “sexually suggestive” themes, but it’s not surprising that you would leave out that distinction. The bottom line is this: you are not required to attend, and if you have to twist reality to get people to agree with you, it proves your bias and bigotry, as well as proving that your arguments have no merit and are just the tantrums of a bigoted minority lashing out because their hatred is no longer popular.

As a former employee of 25 years at Amgen, this is disgusting. I am going to find a place on their website to say so!!

The best thing to do is not show up! Don’t bring your children. The LGBTQ community is targeting children and companies that participate in this are helping them. This is an affront to family values and should not be tolerated.

I AM SOOOOOO TIRED OR THESE SICK PEOPLE TRYING TO INDOCRINATE (GROOM ) OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THIS ABSOLUTE CRAP!!!! A WHOLE MONTH OF THIS CRAP WITH ONLY 7.1% OF THE AMERICAN POULATION IDENTIFYING AS LGBTQ ACCORDING TO GOOGLE. BY THE WAY, THE POLL IS BASED ON “(The results are based on aggregated 2021 data, encompassing interviews with more than 12,000 U.S. adults.)” FROM WHO KNOWS WHAT AREA ???? I WILL BET IT IS NOT THE MIDWEST, TEXAS, FLORIDA OR ANY OTHER SANE AREA OF THE COUNTRY!!

I find this incredibly one-sided, as you call out Amanda Beasley and Cooper the Queen with details about their work life, yet not whomever complained. Is that person real or made up to validate a conservative agenda at The Conejo Guardian?

I have first hand knowledge of Little Unicorns and Rainbow Umbrella, and how dare you say these support groups “promote” any sort of lifestyle, when what they are actually built around is mental health for LGBTQ+ youth?!

With inciting articles like this, they must have a safe place to discuss issues relevant to teens, NOT gay teens in particular, just teens.

And Little Unicorns is a STEM/craft group for ANYONE ages 9-13 INCLUSIVE of LGBTQ kids.

Cooper is reading children’s books. Why is that so horrible? YOU are focusing on other shows/art/performances they are a part of.

Just because you feel the need for rumor-spreading, false, and inciting information doesn’t make your rag and article real.

Remember-judge not, lest you be judged.

Get the facts THEN report.

Bob Bradway, Amgen’s CEO, and other leadership should be ashamed for caving to their top woke institutional shareholders —BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street — in order to score points on the CEI index. Drag Queen story hour for children is a radical TQ+ activist tool used by the woke to sexualize children. It is absolutely disgusting child grooming that has no place in a corporate setting. Why any corporation would think this is appropriate for young children is inconceivable and can only be explained by Amgen leadership’s cowardice to stand up to the ESG cartel. The company deserves to be Bud Lighted for this, except that as a big biopharma they unfortunately are most likely relying on the fact that it is more difficult to boycott them. Amgen has been overtly discriminatory with its affirmative action hiring practices in favor of people of color since George Floyd and its DEI mandates. This is simply the next step to aid and abet identity Marxism as the woke seek to dismantle traditional American values and common standards of decency using useful idiot corporations like Amgen. Peter Griffith, Amgen’s CFO, is a grandfather to a number of young children and regularly mentions them in Finance staff meetings. If he and Bradway endorse this, then I except to see them with their children and grandchildren front and center at this spectacle. Otherwise they’ll just be proving that drag time story hour is nothing more than a woke capitalist charade to rack up ESG points. Amgen employees who are abhorred by this need to stand up and let leadership know that this is not ok.

Cooper is an amazing advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. This article is full of hateful misinformation, lies, and scare tactics. Live a life of truths and you can’t go wrong.

Cooper is a kind, generous person. He gives much to others. This event seems to be entertaining and informative, and is a positive educational activity. I applaud Amgen for hosting this event. Education is important for our youth. This event exposes children to the diversity of gender. This is education, not indoctrination.

Dear Joel,

Humans are human no matter how they dress or how they live their lifestyle. It’s so sad you have to go out of your way to complain about someone’s lifestyle that you don’t even know. Cooper is the kindest soul I’m sure you would have ever met, if you even tried, he teaches love and acceptance to all people not just people in the LGBTQ+ community. He will do anything for anyone that asks. I hope you actually do some real journalism and do your research the next time you try to portray someone you don’t even know.

I’m calling Vanguard tonight to withdraw my retirement funds from them. They help fund Amgen and I want nothing to do with the ideological grooming of vulnerable little kids.

Rob McCoy and Bryce Eddy hosted a convicted child sex offender on their podcast. The Godspeak nursery director is married to a man who sexually molested teen boys while a pastor in Westlake. But you want to try and fuel rage in ignorant people because queer performers are reading stories about inclusion and equality to an audience that is entirely voluntary and supervised by parents? The Godspeak Guardian is trash. Grow up, snowflakes.

Cooper is an amazing Human Being who always tries to help the community unlike you pack of pseudo jesus drunk theists. You’re truly just ignorant

I am a proud volunteer and community member of DCVC and the Ventura county lgbtqia2s+ family. Cooper is one of the most kind and loving humans I know. It breaks my heart to see people attack the LGBTQIA2S+ community (ESPECIALLY THE SWEETEST GODESS OF ALL, COOPER!) and especially during pride month. Get a hobby. Let people be happy. He is reading to children. Having representation in the community is vital. Posting implicit biases instead of facts is how children really get hurt. As a psychologist and therapist, I can say for a fact that hate speech can lead to life long depression. Lack of support for our young people is deadly. Over 90% of trans youth attempt suicide due to being rejected by their parents and loved ones. Accepting Lgbtqia2s+ is life or death for a lot of us.

Cooper might be a really nice guy or girl . I’m a nice person. I will do anything I can to help anyone that asks or looks like they need help. But I don’t share or push my lifestyle with the rest of the world and neither should they. What makes them so special that they need a whole month to recognize their sexuality? Christians don’t get a month, there’s no heterosexual month, even our veterans don’t get a month of recognition. So why should they!?!?!
They can live their lives anyway they want to just don’t push in the rest of our faces!!!

This article is full of very conveniently placed misinformation and you should be ashamed of yourself Joel. Your spinning information to continue the falsity that a person in drag is somehow “grooming “ children with an agenda and not actually showing a child diversity and that you can be loved no matter who you are and how you chose to identify or dress. Don’t think it’s appropriate? Then don’t bring your fucking child. I just hope all you close minded people don’t have a child that needs you to see past your ignorance because sometimes it’s a matter of life and death. Cooper is a blessing to this world and does so much for so many people. Unlike this article that is doing the exact opposite.

Are there any protests being planned at Amgen on Friday?

Joel – I respectfully disagree with your post. It is disheartening to witness an accomplished Christian writer like yourself focusing on judging and discriminating against Cooper, a black drag artist in our county. Cooper is an amazing individual who would never harm a child under any circumstances. It is important to recognize that drag shows serve as powerful educational tools that both entertain and inform audiences about transgender issues. Many drag queens share their personal stories, shedding light on the challenges, triumphs, and everyday experiences of transgender individuals. These performances create opportunities for empathy and understanding, enabling viewers to see beyond the costumes and makeup and connect with the real-life experiences of transgender youth and adults. By the way, it is worth noting that there are currently over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the country driven by hate and misogyny. As a parent, if you feel that drag entertainment is not suitable for your children, I respect that. However, it is crucial not to spread misinformation towards a vulnerable community based on what you perceive as religious beliefs.

There is more evidence of children being victims of gun violence and sexual abuse within churches than of harm resulting from harmless drag shows. Why not write about that instead?

Amgen is an inclusive company that prioritizes saving lives. They have made significant efforts to demonstrate their commitment to diverse communities, including black, brown, indigenous, and unrecognized communities, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and veterans. Layoffs have unfortunately occurred across the country, and disgruntled employees may continue to harbor negativity and resentment towards anyone they disagree with. Let us demonstrate love and compassion, as Christ did, instead of propagating hate and intolerance.

Happy Pride, and may God bless you.

If you don’t want it, then don’t go to such an event. You are the one sexualizing this. There are kids who are LGBTQ+, and some of them seek to find people like themselves. It is easy to find non-LGBTQ+ representation, but minority or marginalized representation is more rare. It is not immoral to be oneself. The churches and other religious organizations I belong to or interact with welcome diversity. One can be moral, ethical, and religious while also being LGBTQ+. If your religion is intolerant then don’t go to an event you find offensive, but not all people share such intolerant values. I am not trying to outlaw your intolerance, I have a difficult time understanding why you are trying to stop a person reading to children. I will pray for you.

My second comment is a reply to Suzonna L. Palmer’s comment.

Wow. It looks like they sold their souls to the devil. God made Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve. They are without a shadow of doubt indoctrinating our children and for anyone that wants to deny it, go check out libs of TikTok. Target added a pride collection that was designed by a satanist. What baby needs a gay onsie? This Cooper must be a sick individual, if Shim is willing to do a Dragshow for kids in the first place. Sickos!!!!!

If you go to a church that allows this type of behavior then you’re going to the wrong church. God does NOT like sin and that is sin. It says it right there in the Bible.
That lifestyle is morally wrong. It’s what caused AIDS in the first place. IT’S SICK AND TWISTED and not natural and should not be pushed on our children. Kids that think they are LGBTQ have not grown mentally yet. They do need counseling though I agree with that!
The LGBTQ is all about sex and you know it! Look at the picture on this site…”Make it nasty” with big red lips! Right next to the picture that says “host”
It doesn’t take an imagination to know what that’s pushing right there.

I’m all for freedom of speech but at least make your arguments cogent, fact based, and limit the inciting , threatening language. The facts are that child sexual predators are mostly white heterosexual men. The second highest group are black heterosexual men. Both groups do not discriminate between grooming and violating children of both sexes. The youngest victim I ever worked with was a 4 y.o. girl. I did not hear a single case in which the child reported that the man was dressed in drag and reading stories at mommy’s/daddy’s workplace. Please, I beg of you, get your facts correct. Additionally, in all my studies of Human Development I have yet to come across any literature that suggests that humans choose a sexuality. I’ve never spoken to a heterosexual identifying person who says my pants got a bulge when I saw Susy at school but I chose to “get it on with Bobby instead” because I didn’t want to choose to be heterosexual. Our bodies tell us where our attraction lies. To suggest that people believe joining a marginalized group is a lifestyle choice, is abhorrent. I suggest that you think long and hard about all types of variability among humans. Clearly, many folks posting believe that diversity should be excluded: no more Latinx heritage, no more African American heritage, no more AAPI heritage, no more Indigenous peoples heritage, no more disability awareness, no more LGBTQ+. How is this level of exclusion, outright discrimination, considered appropriate in an organization with 5,000 employees, who clearly reflect the diversity of these groups. As a Hispanic-Indigenous woman with multiple disabilities who identifies as pan; it disgusts me to think someone would assume that my multiple identities prevent me from being excellently qualified to do my job in a place that acknowledges, celebrates, and supports my multiple identities. Bravo Amgen, Cooper, and the many employees who no longer want to work in an environment that won’t accept them because it is too busy expecting everyone to conform to the normative.

Copper is a wonderful, intelligent, sensitive, caring, embracing individual interested in cultivating knowledge and tolerance in their community. I’m sure the families that choose to attend story time will enjoy this educational activity.

As an educator of 9 years, I have seen so many people- both students and staff- bully children and teens who are either brave enough to come out or who are even just *assumed* to be gay or gender nonconforming. Programs like drag story hour, Little Unicorns, and Rainbow Umbrella are crucial for showing kids that they can live meaningful and happy lives in a supportive community, regardless of how they identify or what they look like.

If we take a statistic from a previous negative comment– that roughly 7% of the population is part of the LGBTQ+ community– we can see that, even in a class of only 30 kids, there will be a few who grow up and identify as LGBTQ+. Denying this, encouraging discrimination, and denying these kids access to safe adults and safe spaces can lead to isolation, and even suicide.

Thanks to Cooper for being such a light on our community, and for the Diversity Collective for continuing to create spaces for LGBTQ+ kids, youth, and their allies. ❤️

I think your interpretation of the the bible is the one that has deviated from God. God made us, and did not make mistakes. LGBTQI+ is not a mistake; LGBTQI+ is not wrong; LGBTQI+ is natural; LGBTQI+ is not all about sex. I try to follow the lead of Jesus, and I support the marginalized. As I stated before, I shall pray for you.

God made man and found man was lonely so he made woman. He did not make Adam and Steve he made Adam and Eve. God does say man should not lay with man and woman should not lay with woman. There’s a reason there is man and woman…to procreate. Men with men cannot get pregnant. woman with woman cannot get pregnant.
People are not born LBGTQ.
They are made by their environment and I feel sorry for them. Instead of praying for me Sean, please pray for those that are lost

The Bible does not say that a woman should not lay with a woman, and the Levitical passage you refer to is more nuanced than you seem to realize. Your lack of biblical scholarship is showing. The fact that you do not realize that same sex attraction exists within the animal kingdom and is a normal variation shows your ignorance of science as well. I pray for those who are lost, which includes you.

Drag queen story hour is post-modern queer theory activism to expose children to behavior that is outside the boundaries of cultural norms and values (i.e., deviant behavior) with an activist purpose to subvert cultural norms and radically change social discourses about binary categories (male vs female, hetero v homosexual, etc.). LGB have already gained equal rights, protections, access to opportunity through liberalism in recent decades and are now largely within the norm as most people have come to adopt a live and let live attitude. Queer theory activists seek something entirely different than what LGB sought and achieved. In queer theory, sex, gender and sexuality are social constructs that are considered inherently oppressive and need to be dismantled by blurring the lines to achieve liberation from biological essentialism (despite the fact that gender and sexuality strongly correlate with biological sex across geographies and cultures over time). As it denies any connection between biology, gender and sexuality, it is truly ironic that Amgen, a science-based biotechnology company, is embracing it. Those who say that drag queen story time is simply about teaching acceptance of people who are LGB and even T either misunderstand, or are being disingenuous about, the nature of queer activism. These are subversive activists, and their targets with story time are children. The argument that their activism is somehow helpful to actual confused trans kids or intended to promote more acceptance of LGB is wishful thinking. Don’t be fooled by these activists, like shallow, ESG points hungry, Amgen has been.

This looks like a needed discussion is underway here. Needed because it reflects social polarities on a topic that questions the core values of a society that by self evidence must be vigilant in that societies dedication to vigorous continuation of life and wholesome relationships for it’s future members. That’s vital to all societies.

But really this shows there are more than one society posting comments. One logically argues for its natural order and continuation and the other by its very basic premise expresses a denial of the naturally vital principles of its own survival, so that sub set of society is championing for innocent, immature recruits to join its self destructive models of behavior. There is no need for name calling because that just clouds the issues and brings the unstable or immature mind toward confusion. Healthy norms of sexual behavior are what our society, no, our race depends on to survive and thrive. Confused members
about their own natural sexuality is like a storm of confusion and is not beneficial generally, unless seen as a kind of object lesson of what to avoid and why to avoid it. So the larger society can patiently and wisely work toward helping those deviating from established norms to understand themselves better and reconsider the temporary positions they have aggregated to. But children, non adults, the insecure people of our race should be able to find shelter from being targeted as recruits on their journey toward finding their way to living a fulfilling and wholesome life that they are naturally heir to obtain.

I am curious to find out how many other “Children’s Story Hour” Amgen has hosted? Is this a monthly event? Did they also have a “Children’s Story Hour” for Ramadan, Passover and Easter or Christmas? No matter what side of the argument you are on, the glaring inequality for ALL beliefs to be showcased at Amgen is what makes the local community question the sincerity of this event. If there is a “Children’s Story Hour” every month at Amgen, then the monthly topic is, of course, up to HR and the event organizers. If Amgen HR/Event Planners truly wanted to do a “Children’s Story Hour”…. randomly, out-of-the-blue, for the benefit of the children, then there are many themes to choose from. The month of June, the Drag-Queen star of the event and the topics to be shared lead the local community to only arrive at one conclusion; that this is a political pandering exercise by Amgen management. It seems very unbalanced and does cause offense to many in the local community, Christians, Muslims and regular middle-of-the road folks who roll their eyes at corporations pushing cultural/political ideas upon their employees and the local community. Amgen-Who are you trying so desperately to earn points with?