Drag Panic

The drag panic (also called drag queen panic or anti-drag hysteria) is a moral panic that stems from the belief that drag, when exposed to minors, can be harmful due to its perception as sexual in nature.[1][2][3]

Barbada de Barbades reading books to children at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec in 2018.

The panic, born in the United States, has become more prominent in 2022,[4] arising in the United Kingdom, Canada and in other countries in a series of rallies and counter-rallies related to drag queens performing in front of minors.[5] Throughout 2022, there were at least 141 incidents of protests and harassment towards drag events in the United States.[6]

Background
Drag queen arrested in NYC, 1962
See also: History of drag

Throughout much of the early-twentieth century, drag performances in the United States were criminalized under cross dressing laws.[7] In fact, the 1969 Stonewall Riots began after the NYPD sought to arrest violators of New York's cross-dressing law (which required individuals to wear at least three articles of clothing of their assigned sex).[8] As such laws were relaxed in the second half of the 20th century, drag appeared in works of wide popular relevance, such as Some Like It Hot (1959), The Birdcage (1996) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).[9] In the early 21st century, the art of drag continued to gain popularity and went mainstream, such as via RuPaul's Drag Race,[10] Queen of the Universe,[11] and Drag Den.[12]

Due to the attention paid to the phenomenon on the rise in 2019, right-wing figures such as Chaya Raichik,[13] Matt Walsh,[14][15] Tucker Carlson,[16] Michael Knowles,[17] Dennis Prager,[18] Candace Owens,[19] and Ben Shapiro,[20] began to link drag queens to the LGBT grooming conspiracy theory, calling to limit their visibility.[17][21][22]

Timeline

United States
People protesting against Drag Queen Story Hour in 2022.

Protests against drag performances, especially Drag Queen Story Hour, increased after the 2021 attacks at the United States Capitol.[23] The most vocal opponents are mostly affiliated with alt-right groups.[23] Former Fox News host, Tucker Carlson, suggested that drag events could "indoctrinate or sexualize" children.[23] Protestors also have expressed concern about homophobic conspiracy theories that performers are grooming children.[24][25] The Anti-Defamation League reported that child abuse conspiracy theory has been fuelled by the Libs of TikTok, a far-right Twitter account.[25] The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation reported over 120 threats against drag shows in the US, throughout 2022.[26]

In mid-June of 2022, the far-right Twitter account, Libs of TikTok, condemned the upcoming Coeur d'Alene, Idaho's "Pride in the Park" festival due to a "family-friendly drag performance."[27] On June 11th, 2022, during the pride event, law enforcement arrested 31 members of the white nationalist and hate group Patriot Front, later charging them with conspiracy to riot.[28]

On March 2, 2023, Tennessee governor Bill Lee signed a bill to equate drag queen performances with sexual performers.[29] Subsequently, a 1977 photo emerged of Lee dressed in drag in the company of minors.[30][31] This bill sparked outrage throughout the United States, including politicians and drag queens.[32] In May 2023, masked neo-Nazi groups in Ohio protested drag events in Wadsworth and Columbus, carrying anti-drag and anti-trans banners, such as one that read, "There Will Be Blood."[33]

United Kingdom

In July 2022, right-wing groups protested Drag Queen Story Hour at Reading Central Library in Berkshire.[34][35] The event featured Sab Samuel performing in drag as Aida H Dee.[36] Subsequent protests occurred in Crewe, Bristol,[35] and at Glastonbury Public Library.[37] In August 2022, 50 protestors were met with about 300 counter-protestors outside a drag event at Oxfordshire County Library;[38] police kept the two groups separated.[38] Also in August 2022, a drag show featuring Matthew Cavan performing as drag queen Cherri Ontop in Belfast was the target of a protest.[36] Flyers promoting protests to drag performances in the UK are shared in anti-vaccination themed Telegram groups.[35]

Canada

On November 23, 2022, people protested a drag storytelling event in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver.[39] On November 25, 2022, people protested outside a Hamilton Public Library facility.[24] The next day, Book Keeper independent book shop in Sarnia, was protested by men as it hosted its fourth Drag Queen Story Time event.[40] Also in November 2022, an event at Kelseys Original Roadhouse in Burlington, featuring Guelph drag queen Crystal Quartz was canceled following threats made towards the restaurant.[41]

On December 19, 2022, fourteen protestors gathered outside Brockville Public Library in Ontario as it held its first Drag Story Time event.[42] The protestors were met by counter-protestors, which included the library's CEO.[42] Police searched the library for explosive devices after a threat was uttered.[42]

Twice in December 2022, protestors interrupted drag performances at the Britbar venue in Penticton BC, and at DunnEnzies restaurant in BC's Okanagan.[43][44]

Finland

Central library Oodi of the Finnish capital Helsinki arranged a drag queen story hour related to the Helsinki Pride Festival in July 2022. The performer, nicknamed Gaylien 2000 refused to reveal their true identity. Around 25-30 protesters demonstrated and conducted speeches in front of the library, after which some of them entered the library trying to block the event, resulting in a large police operation. The performer had been accused of paedophilia and threatened online before the event.[45][46]

France

In 2023, a reading story hour activity was cancelled due to protests on social media by extremists.[47]

See also

References
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  3. Vognar, Chris (May 3, 2023). "Drag is under attack in Texas—but not at this Houston theater". Chron. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  4. Stack, Liam (June 6, 2019). "Drag Queen Story Hour Continues Its Reign at Libraries, Despite Backlash". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
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