Thousands descended on the Indianapolis Public Library on Thursday to hear Christian actor and writer Kirk Cameron read his book As You Grow, which Cameron says “teaches kids about Biblical wisdom and the importance of relying on Biblical principles through all seasons of life.”

While drag queen story hours, which expose American children to radical sexuality, have become extremely popular in cities across the nation, the turnout at this Christian-based story hour provides a glimmer of hope that many parents desire a wholesome upbringing for their children.

Brave Books, Cameron’s publisher, said that over 2,500 people attended the story hour. Only about 1,000 people were able to get into the library, but they were dispersed throughout different floors. 

His publisher tweeted:

This is a message to every library in the United States: In 137 years of the Indianapolis Public Library’s history, NEVER ONCE have they had over 2,500 people show up to a single event. UNTIL TODAY…. No longer will we be shut away. We will be here, we will stand strong & we will show the world how many of us there really are! Thank you to everyone who gave up their morning to join us! This movement is beginning!

“They’re gonna let me speak over the loudspeaker, the PA, because there’s about 1,000 people in the library on other floors that haven’t gotten up here,” Cameron announced to excited attendees. “So I’m gonna be talking to everybody in just a few minutes, and I just wanna thank them for coming and thank you for coming and making this such a special event today!”

An attendee posted a video of the crowd to Twitter and shared that the library would not be able to accommodate everyone due to the large turnout. 

Library staff has informed patrons that there will not be room for all guests to enjoy the book reading. As you can see, the building appears well beyond capacity. @KirkCameron @indylibrary #childstoryhour pic.twitter.com/mW3KRtFiZd

— Ryan Wilson (@D_RyanWilson) December 29, 2022

This success comes after a series of rejections, however. Cameron previously attempted to host a story hour at dozens of libraries nationwide. But, alas, he wasn’t inclusive enough for more than 50 libraries that either rejected or didn’t respond to his request, his publisher said.

(Maybe if he had dressed up as a woman, he would’ve been allowed. Ha!)

A library in Rhode Island told Cameron’s publisher, “No, we will pass on having you run a program in our space,” according to Fox News. 

“We are a very queer-friendly library. Our messaging does not align,” the library worker reportedly said.  

Cameron is not the first person to offer an alternative to the radical drag queen story hours dominating American local libraries.

Pastors Michael Foster and Dale Partridge teamed up to create “Pastor Story Hour” to promote biblical values in their community. 

“It’s an opportunity for us to be out there and lead the way,” Foster told the Christian Broadcasting Network. “These corrupting influences are out there … because we’re not pushing back on it. This is a very simple way … to push back on evil in our day.”

Foster continued, “[P]eople are looking for wholesome stuff.”

Partridge echoed Foster’s sentiment, noting that their story hours don’t necessarily need to be Bible stories — just stories that promote virtue and goodness.

“It doesn’t have to be necessarily a Christian book with a Gospel message every single time,” he said. “It can just be an incredible story with a virtuous character that a pastor teaches.”

Pushing back against drag queen story hours and other inappropriate sexualization that children are exposed to can have a major impact. With the efforts of Foster, Partridge, and Cameron, Americans have reason to hope.