The National Book Festival is like the Comic-Con of books, featuring authors, book signings, book sales, workshops, and more. This year, the beloved event took place in Washington, DC, which is chaotic and alarming politically right now. One woman attending the National Book Festival came in full costume, as did many others. However, before she could truly enjoy the festival, the event coordinators put a stop to it and had her escorted out. And she still doesn’t know why!
“I just got kicked out of the National Book Festival, happening in Washington DC without saying a word,” says TikToker Shawna. Shawna decided to attend the festival wearing her Handmaiden costume from the popular banned book, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. In the book, ‘handmaids’ are abducted from their families in a dystopian world where they’re forced to breed as society collapses around them. At the same time, they’re forced to wear a very conservative outfit, red in color.
It was a very fitting costume choice for a book festival. Apparently, the event coordinators didn’t see eye-to-eye with her on her outfit choice. Perhaps they even thought her outfit would raise tensions because they banned her from entering a talk. The video shows Shawna standing and speaking with a guard, who tells her she wasn’t permitted in the event. She isn’t even allowed to stand in the back. She asks, “Is that, like, in their contract? They can just kick people out based on what they’re wearing?”
Shawna tells the security guard she’s just going to walk in and sit down. However, the security guards explain that would lead to a “termination” from the entire festival. Including an escort by the Metropolitan Police Department. So, Shawna shrugs her shoulders, says, “Okay,” and walks toward the entrance anyway. Security detail stops her once again.
Eventually, a police officer shows up to speak with Shawna. The officer tells her, “The management of this event would not like for you to be here at this time, in this building.” Shawna tries to compromise and tell him that she’ll take the costume off. However, the police officer speaks with management and they still deny her entrance.
He tells her, “Even though you compromised in taking the costume off, they have made the decision that they don’t want you in this building.” Shawna asks if they’re also making other costumed people leave but, nope, it was just her. In the end, even though Shawna handled the situation peacefully and with grace, she was escorted out of the festival by security. Shawna stated, even though she sat quietly and never said a word, “Apparently, I’m being a disservice.”
