“You Don’t Want Temperature Near the Children”: Drag Queen Story-Readings and the (De)Politicization of LGBTQ+ Rights in Sweden

Abstract In 2022–2023, a controversy around drag queen story-readings (DSRs) at libraries arose in Sweden, which was noteworthy given the low level of political conflict surrounding LGBTQ+ issues in recent years. This article explores how discourses around DSRs as “political” or “nonpolitical” renegotiate LGBTQ+ rights and queerness in the Swedish societal landscape. The study draws on ethnographic observations, interviews, and media reporting, and draws inspiration from queer and feminist theories of depoliticization. The analysis maps out (1) how “polarization” and “politics” were portrayed as unwanted, especially in proximity to children, (2) constructions of DSRs as harmful or harmless, (3) efforts to position oneself on the side of the majority, and (4) repoliticizing narratives centering on changing the world for and through children. We argue that in a country imagining itself as both LGBTQ+ friendly and child-friendly, the figure of the child emerges as a site where queerness is both disavowed and reclaimed.