'Holi-Drag Storytime' for children canceled because of right-wing protesters
The hosts of a "Drag Queen Story Hour"-style event for children in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday pulled the plug because of what they described as the
The hosts of a "Drag Queen Story Hour"-style event for children in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday pulled the plug because of what they described as the intimidating presence of right-wing demonstrators.
The scheduled holiday themed "Holi-Drag Storytime" at the First Unitarian Church of Columbus, which runs the K-5 institution behind the event, Red Oak Community School, was canceled at the last-minute Saturday morning following internal discussions, organizers said.
Members of Ohio's Proud Boys organization and other right-wing groups made good on promises to make waves outside the venue Saturday. More than 50 demonstrators, including members of the Proud Boys, gathered near the church Saturday morning and shouted, chanted and held up signs. Some were armed with long guns.
As some Republican lawmakers and state leaders have sought to limit the rights of transgender people and make them a campaign issue, right-wing extremists have mounted parallel campaigns on the streets.
Some have all but denied the existence of nonbinary people, embraced legislation limiting transgender student participation in sports, decried gender-neutral bathrooms, and made unfounded allegations about connections between transgender people and certain types of crime.
Rating: 5