A need for a forgotten concept in America — nuance

Recently a Denver bookstore hosted an event that's by now been duplicated hundreds of times across the country. The event is called Drag Queen Story Hour, where — most often at public libraries — these men dressed as female caricatures read stories to children.

Seen in the eyes of progressive-minded individuals, these are ideal occasions to demonstrate and teach their children about the acceptance of different lifestyles. Fittingly, drag queens read to the seated children books about gender identification, gender fluidity, sexual orientation, and the like. The events, which started in San Francisco, have caught on in left-leaning communities, including here in the Twin Cities. While libraries these days struggle to get people in their doors, Drag Queen Story Hours have been a huge hit.

On the other hand, to many conservative-minded people these events are atrocious: parents exposing their children to what had been universally considered an adult-themed activity, doing so in a children's setting and using tax dollars to fund it.

As such, perhaps no single event better encapsulates the growing ideological divide in the U.S. (perhaps the entire Western world). And as has happened at other locations hosting Drag Queen Story Hour, the Denver bookstore met backlash. It came in the form of white nationalists spray-painting and posting their group's stickers on the bookstore windows.

The spray-painting happened during the event, alarming those inside, with the drag queen reader reportedly telling the children, "Let's take a couple of deep breaths. Now, let's get back to story time."

In response to the vandalism, the bookstore owner said community members helped with cleanup and came out for a block party to show their "unity against hate." Then on June 29, the bookstore published a blog post acknowledging this vandalism and responding to questions and complaints it has received for hosting their Drag Queen Story Hours. Within this blog, the author wrote: "If you defend the actions of white supremacists, if you side with white supremacists, if you take the opportunity to attack a business that has been attacked by white supremacists, then you might be a …. (we'll let you fill in the blank)."

While I empathize with the business owner's defensive position, this quote nonetheless serves as an example of a common result (and cause) of the worsening rift in the U.S.

Nuance is unfashionable.

This is because we (especially in the U.S., I believe) are suckers for drama, and we are yet to get used to the recent rapid increase of information and interpersonal connectivity. The internet and social media offer constant, unlimited opportunities to express politics and to consume politically charged material with an ego's unceasing appetite manifesting in outrage, gossip, bullying, sarcasm, grandstanding, showboating and cynicism. As of now, all this drama is just too much to resist. Social-media celebrities are made by those lauded wildly for verbally scathing a political opponent.

One who offers a thoughtful take is simply not as cool.

Perhaps this isn't anything new, just a modern reiteration exaggerated with the latest communications technology.

It's to our benefit to hasten our moving past the stagnation of this social quicksand, to increase our discipline to resist the immediate thrill of the rant, the finger-pointing, the us-vs.-them and to consider the solution, the nuance, the gray between the black and white.

The degree to which we do not resist such drama and tribalism is the degree to which America continues to split into radical advocacy, action and harm.