A gaggle of Proud Boys members on Saturday aggressively disrupted a drag queen occasion being held for youngsters and households at a public library, native sheriff deputies reported.

The incident started round 1:30 p.m. on the San Lorenzo Library in Alameda County, California. Members of the infamous right-wing white nationalist group stormed the occasion being hosted by the group, Drag Queen Story Hour, which organizes family-friendly readings hosted by drag queens everywhere in the nation.

The members, some sporting shirts with AK-47s on them, yelled out quite a few homophobic and transphobic slurs, and accused the occasion's hosts of being "pedophiles." Alameda County Sheriff's Lieutenant Ray Kelly confirmed the incident to a neighborhood reporter, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, explaining that the people had been escorted out of the library by deputies.

One of many hosts of the occasion, Kyle Casey "Panda Dulce" Chu, described the occasion in an Instagram submit, and estimated that eight to 10 Proud Boys members had been concerned, and appeared ready to get violent. Chu mentioned that the hosts went and locked themselves in a backroom whereas the library employees referred to as police. When deputies arrived to escort them out, Chu mentioned that the protestors fashioned traces and tried to dam entrances. As soon as they had been gone, the hosts had been capable of resume and end the occasion.

Kelly confirmed to Rodriguez that the sheriff's workplace is presently investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. Assets are additionally being devoted to defending the native LGBTQ+ group within the county as Pleasure Month continues.

drag queen story hour proud boys
A gaggle of Proud Boys members tried to disrupt a Drag Queen Story Hour occasion at a California public library on Saturday. Above, a shot of a Drag Queen Story Hour occasion in Los Angeles in 2019.Getty Photographs/David McNew

"We are going to ensure any future occasions on the library are secure in opposition to hate speech and threats of violence," the lieutenant mentioned. "As we rejoice Pleasure Month, we will probably be swift in our response to any incidents the place there are threats to hurt members of this group."

Drag queen reveals have lately grow to be a outstanding speaking level amongst Republican lawmakers in latest months. In Texas, state Consultant Bryan Slaton proposed a legislation banning youngsters from attending drag reveals, referring to tug queens as "perverted adults." In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed utilizing Youngster Protecting Providers to analyze adults who carry youngsters to such reveals.

"For a gaggle that claims to 'shield youngsters,' [it] likes to disrupt youngsters's occasions with homophobia and transphobic slurs, yelling, screaming, inciting violent threats, traumatizing youngsters and their households," Jonathan Hamlit, govt director at Drag Queen Story Hour, mentioned in a press release to Newsweek. "Sadly, experiencing hate and generally violence is a day by day expertise for queer individuals. It is surprising and salacious within the media, nevertheless it's a tough a part of being within the LGBTQ+ group."

One other Drag Queen Story Hour occasion was nearly disrupted this week in Apex, North Carolina, after pageant organizers reported receiving violent threats from the group. Regardless of the setback, the occasion ultimately went ahead with new organizers, Equality NC.

"We like to point out youngsters, not solely who could also be queer now or develop as much as be queer, that they're surrounded by individuals like them, but in addition present youngsters which can be going to develop as much as be advocates and allies find out how to be these robust advocates and allies," organizer Elise Chenoworth mentioned in a press release, in response to native information station CBS 17.

This text was up to date with a press release from Drag Queen Story Hour.