A Katoomba drag queen had an important message to impart at a story time session at a Lithgow Library on Thursday.
Martina Concepta was invited by the library as part of IDAHOT Day (International Day Against Homophobia Biphobia and Transphobia).
Martina read ‘Be Who You Are’ by Todd Parr and performed the similarly titled song ‘I am what I am’ by Gloria Gaynor to an enraptured audience.
Martina said the message of her performance was important for the hurdles children might face.
“I hope they feel they have met somebody who is proud to be who they are and doesn’t worry about how other people judge them,” she said.
“They can take that forward, whoever they come to be.”
Born in Ireland and currently living in Katoomba, Martina said she would have loved to have experienced something similar as a child.
“I was a sensitive, shy kid and I was picked on for that. I was too young to know about sexuality but I did feel different in myself,” she said.
“Something like this I know I would have remembered.”
Martina definitely made an impression, but she was not the only one wearing sparkles, with children, library staff and parents dressed up for the occasion.
“I think Oscar was a bit in awe of Martina when he first saw her, that beautiful sparkly dress,” parent Debbie Bailey said.
