A Drag Queen Story Hour event in the East Bay district of San Francisco was disrupted on Saturday afternoon by what authorities say were members of the nationalistic, far-right Proud Boys group.
The event was scheduled for 1.30 p.m at San Lorenzo Library. The event was organized by drag queen Panda Dulce, who said afterward on Instagram a group of Proud Boys “stormed my drag queen story hour at San Lorenzo public library.”
Related: Lauren Boebert thinks kids safer with priests than with drag queens
Panda, also known as Kyle Chu, told CBS, “It felt very close to violence.
“It was extremely loud. It was like a cacophony of voices just yelling over one another, taunting me, calling me a groomer, a pedophile, a tranny, and ‘it’. Interrogating the parents, asking, ‘Why are you bringing your kids to this?’ I didn’t feel safe, because one of them was wearing a shirt with an AK-47 on it and it said ‘kill your local pedophile.’”
The men who stormed into “Drag Queen Story Hour” at the San Lorenzo Library were described as members of the Proud Boys Organization. @ACSOSheriffs says an active hate crime investigation is underway.
Im told this video was taken once the situation was “calmer.” pic.twitter.com/5lJYXWZZkS— Stephanie Magallon (@MagallonNews) June 12, 2022
Panda retreated to a side room in the hope the interruption could be de-escalated. The event was attended by a handful of pre-schoolers and their parents.
“I remember one child looked to their mom and was like ‘What’s going on? Why are they raising their voices? Who are these people?’ And there were these men who are towering over them. It was terrorism,” says Panda.
Panda says objections to drag queen story events are ridiculous, pointing out she was raised primarily by straight people but did not turn out straight.
“There’s no agenda here except for being able to accurately reflect the diversity of our world.
“They want us to disappear. They want us to not exist so they don’t have to confront their own discomfort with the idea that there are people different from them in the world. But guess what? There are people different from you in the world. And we’re going to stay here. And we’re going to continue doing what we’re doing. And we’re going to be visible about it.”
Sheriff’s deputies turned up but no arrests were made. They say the men were likely members of the Proud Boys, and they escorted them out. Charges may still be bought against the men.
After the men were removed, Panda continued her book reading to the children.
On Facebook, the Alameda Sheriff’s Office posted, “A group of 5 men entered the library and disrupted the reading event. The men were described as members of the Proud Boys organization, known to be a right-wing hate group with anti-LGBTQ affiliations.
“The men began to shout homophobic and transphobic slurs at the event organizer. The men were described as extremely aggressive with a threatening violent demeanor causing people to fear for their safety.
“Deputies responded to the scene and were able to de-escalate the situation. An active hate crime investigation is underway as is an investigation into the annoying and harassing of children.”
Rep. Eric Swallwell (D-Dublin), who represents San Lorenzo in Congress, condemned the attack.
“We must reject this hate and extremism whenever it shows itself,” Swallwell said. “There is no place for this hate in the East Bay, and we all need to speak up with one voice in saying so.”
The storming of the Drag Queen story hour event came on the same afternoon that 31 members of a white nationalist militia group, Patriot Front, were arrested for planning to riot at a Pride event in Idaho.
San Francisco Rep. Scott Wiener was among those to condemn both incidents.
Yesterday:
Proud Boys stormed Drag Queen Story Hour at San Lorenzo Public Library, wearing AK-47 shirts & calling the drag queen “pedophile” & “it.”
A right-wing militia was arrested for planning to attack Pride in Idaho.
Direct results of political attacks on LGBTQ people.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) June 12, 2022
This Pride Month has seen an escalation of protests against LGBTQ events that welcome children. Last weekend, protestors gathered outside a drag queen brunch event aimed at kids and parents at a bar in Dallas, Texas.
Related: Dallas drag show for kids prompts street protest and conservative meltdown
The influential, right-wing @LibsofTikTok Twitter account has been pumping out details of drag queen events aimed at children over the last couple of weeks. It had publicized the San Lorenzo event to its followers in advance of Saturday.
Chaya Raichik of Libs of Tik Tok is going to get somebody killed. pic.twitter.com/3uXiWMFLkP
— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) June 12, 2022
Ronbo
When the tactic is to bully, you know, Know, KNOW that you are on the wrong side of the issue. The world is large enough to make room for everyone: straight, gay, trans.
jt1990
I think you may be missing the point here Ronbo. These were most likely just paid actors. Proud Boys and other such “hate” groups are often tipped by Left wing interest groups to stir up division. There’s a crucial mid term coming up and things aren’t looking good for Sleepy Joe’s puppet masters. Wake up folks!
Kangol2
Of course here comes jt spouting utter nonsensical conspiracy theories. The anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has been ramping up for years now and it’s completely in the open. Are you going to suggest that those White far-right-wing nutcases in Idaho were “paid actors”? If so, please go get some help and pronto. These attacks on drag queens, on trans people, etc. are both a diversionary tactic because the GQP and people on the right have zero positive plans for the vast majority of American people AND because they also have been pushing a hate agenda for years and now feel untrammeled after the disastrous presidency of Don the Con. No matter what happens in November 2020, don’t think they are going to stop; they will only be emboldened even more, as they were when Don the Con slipped into office with Putin’s help in 2016!
Ronbo
One is entitled to form absolute opinions on one’s own sexuality; but, as soon as you start making rules about OTHER people’s sexuality, you are on the fascist track to nowhere.
LegionKeign
Someone should start their own version of the “Proud Boys” made up of the GLBT community and Straight allies. Perhaps ex military or cough, cough, cops (I’m being nice) and use diversity colors and show up at our events to keep the incels at bay.
Heywood Jablowme
Proud Boys in a library? There’s a first time for everything!
This should make MUCH more news than it does, but the Proud Boys organization discourages its members from masturbating. Any group that’s freaked out by masturbation, you know for sure that group is up to no good!
Manray
Likely the first time any of this trash entered a library.
They look exactly like you would expect them to. White, fat, stupid, trash.
jt1990
@Manray If there’s no mention of murder, assault, or property damage, you can safely assume they are white at least.
Jim
These oafs really think there behavior is the type pre-schoolers should be subject to?
bachy
If the Proud Boys don’t like the idea of a Drag Queen Story Hour for children, why not host a Stripper Story Hour for children– at a straight strip club? It might help to counterbalance what the kids are absorbing at the gay venue.
Mister P
JT1990 stirs up division by telling implausible lies.
aka_Buzz
@jt1990
You ought to just shut your mouth … those skid marks that your tongue leaves tell everyone all they need to know.
Velvetalex
OF COURSE that’s what they look like! LOL, Proud Boys are pathetic.
Josh in OR
So, a bunch of dumpy, unf***able, cishet, ‘Christian’ identifying (I guarantee it), white men – who don’t know how to say no to a beer, a burger, or a lynching – made clowns of themselves at a clown show…? And threatened violence against entertainers – in front of children – because of their willful, ignorant bigotry?
Terrorists. Every single one of them. They should be treated like what they are.
Drag Queens are nothing if not the spiritual successors to clowns. They are brightly colored, exaggeratedly painted, loud, and funny. And just like clowns, ignorant, religiously blinded idiots think they’re trying to ‘corrupt’ or ‘steal’ children from ‘decent, god-fearing Christian’s’. Of course, reasonable adults understand that if entertainers are performing and you don’t like their schtick, fine…you can go elsewhere. But you should also understand that your distaste isn’t shared by everyone, and you don’t get to force everyone to bow to your stupid prejudices just because you are loud, proudly uneducated and unempathetic.
johncp56
Who are really the harmful ones for children, gun touting swearing thrugs, or clowns having fun telling stories being kind, kids are frightend enough with our lame gun laws that leave freak shows of humans get guns,