Anti-LGBTQ+ group attack more drag events in the US
The so-called ‘Proud Boys’ are a far-right white supremacist hate group with anti-LGBTQ+ affiliations, who seem to have marked drag artists as a recent primary target in their battle for supremacy.
A group of alleged Proud Boys attempted to interrupt a drag show being held at a bar in Woodland, California on Thursday (June 30) by yelling a range of homophobic and transphobic slurs and threatening the attendees and performers.
The group, sporting glasses and balaclavas to hide their faces, tried to gain access to the restaurant while demanding to know how many children were inside, until ultimately being pepper sprayed before retreating, reports Independent.
Some reports say police ‘stood idly’ nearby as it was all happening.
The venue also faced a series of online threats for hosting the event.
Alleged Proud Boys members attempt to get into The Mojo in Woodland, CA and are met with pepper spray. The bar had planned an all ages Drag Show tonight, which was postponed due to security concerns pic.twitter.com/7Boln64uJ6
— Luke Cleary (@LukeCleary) July 1, 2022
Pride is over.
Wrath has begun. https://t.co/jlXPNcZm5Q
— Tyler the ✨𝓕𝓾𝓬𝓱𝓼𝓲𝓪𝓷✨ 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@TylerAlbertario) July 1, 2022
Christy Hayes, the venue owner, told CBS:
“There was a pepper spray incident as an aggressor tried to force his way into Mojo’s,” she said, adding, “Someone had an asthma attack.”
The bar had initially wanted to hold a drag event to mark the end of Pride month, but Hayes had cancelled it after she found out that anti-LGBTQ groups, namely Libs of Tiktok, had begun sharing the event’s details on social media, KCRA reported.
However, several performers showed up anyway and a reduced event went ahead.
BREAKING: Several Proud Boys are pepper-sprayed after hatefully disrupting a drag show in California to scream “fucking f*ggots” and “fucking groomer motherfuckers” as part of the Republican Party’s ongoing war on the LGBTQ community. RT IF YOU’RE GLAD THEY GOT SPRAYED!
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) July 1, 2022
It isn’t the first time people thought to be aligned with the proud boys have attacked drag events.
GOP politicians began a hate campaign against drag earlier this year, with many agreeing it to be a diversionary tactic, fuelling a negative conversation about drag culture in order to deflect from calls for gun reform.
In June, immediately following, a group of men said to be ‘proud boys’ stormed a Drag Queen Story Hour in California, which was filled with children and parents.
One man wore a t-shirt with an image of a large AK-47 in the middle, and the words “Ki** Your Local Pe**hile” plastered above it in yellow.
The drag queen in question, meanwhile, is a former teacher with 10 years of experience and a masters in social work, who has also been a charity volunteer most of their life.
On the same weekend, more than 30 members of a white nationalist group were arrested for allegedly planning to violently disrupt a Pride event in Idaho.
Thanks to a tip-off from a local person who spotted the men armed with masks and shields getting into a lorry, the rioters were stopped just outside of Coeur d’Alene’s Pride in the Park which was being held by the North Idaho Pride Alliance.
Towards the end of June, a man with an armed rifle intimidated patrons at a Nevada library hosting Drag Queen Story Time.
Advocate reports a group wearing the militia’s colors of yellow and black carried placards that read, “Stop sexualizing children! Shame on you for trading your kids just to look ‘woke.’ Woke is broke.”
Officers determined the gun owner held the weapon lawfully and did not threaten anyone. Nevada does not prohibit open carry, so officers took no action, a statement at the time said.
#DragQueenStoryTime was a success! Sparks families came out today to meet Miss Ginger and join in the fun. Special thanks to Austin from @SenCortezMasto’s office for presenting Ginger with a very special proclamation! What an honor on this fabulous day! 🌈📚 pic.twitter.com/XE0eA3ImJm
— Washoe County Library (@WashoeLibrary) June 26, 2022
Although Proud Boys are majoritively an American group, this week New Zealand’s government declared it a terrorist organisation, making it illegal in New Zealand to fund, recruit or participate in the group, and obligating NZ authorities to take action against them.
In the US, the state department only lists foreign groups as terrorist entities. But the Proud Boys were last year named a terrorist group in Canada.
A couple thoughts on the video of proud boys trying to breach a drag show at a bar in Woodland, CA:
– The police are entirely useless here. Heck they may as well be working with them.
– LibsOfTikTok blasted this event, and this is another example of their stochastic terrorism. https://t.co/EZBaHrlfxh
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) July 1, 2022