SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – East Bay law enforcement are conducting a hate crime investigation after a group of men that might be affiliated with a far-right group shouted homophobic and transphobic slurs during Saturday's Drag Queen Story Hour at the San Lorenzo Library.
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Dulce Panda, the Bay Area drag queen who hosted Saturday's event and uses she/her and he/him pronouns, said in an Instagram post that as many as 10 men yelled "t----y," "pedophile" and "it" while jeering and recording the reading. The performer, also known as Kyle Casey Chu, said she hid in a back office with the library's security guard while librarians called the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
Dulce Panda alleged that the protestors were members of the Proud Boys, a far-right organization whose leader was indicted last week alongside four other members on charges of seditious conspiracy for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot, who "attempted to escalate to violence."
Sheriff’s officials said in a statement on Sunday that five men "described as members of the Proud Boys" were also characterized as "extremely aggressive with a threatening violent demeanor." Attendees, whom the sheriff's office said were primarily children and parents, feared for their safety, according to officials.
Deputies "were able to de-escalate the situation," sheriff's officials said. Sunday's release didn't say whether any arrests were made, as the sheriff's office said it was investigating a possible hate crime and "the annoying and harassing of children."
The sheriff's office "will dedicate all resources to ensure the safety of members of our LGBTQ community," officials said in a release. "We will make sure any future events at the library are safe against hate speech and threats of violence. As we celebrate Pride Month, we will be swift in our response to any incidents where there are threats to harm members of this community."
Saturday’s alleged transphobic and homophobic harassment occurred the same day police in Idaho arrested 31 people believed to be affiliated with a white nationalist group after they alllegedly planned to riot near a Pride parade, and amid an increase in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and transphobic violence.
Last month, President Joe Biden on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia warned of "rising hate and violence" against LGBTQ Americans as Republican lawmakers, conservative media pundits and some public figures have accused opponents of Florida's education bill and other measures of supporting pedophilia and the "grooming" of children.
Just last week, Republican lawmakers in Florida and Texas announced plans to bar minors from attending events with drag performers.
The Human Rights Council, which recorded more killings of transgender and gender non-conforming Americans last year than any other, says at least 14 transgender people in the U.S. have been "fatally shot or killed by other means" this year.
Draq Queen Story Hour originated at the San Francisco Public Library in 2015, beginning as a program in which drag queens and kings read stories to children at libraries, bookstores and elsewhere. It now is a network of local organizations seeking to celebrate reading “through the glamorous art of drag,” according to the organization.
A Drag Queen Story Hour was canceled last Monday in North Carolina amid threats of violence, but a statewide LGBTQ rights organization stepped in a day later to sponsor the Pride Festival hosting the story hour.
Dulce Panda completed the reading on Saturday after the group was escorted out, writing in the Instagram post that the protestors' presence "hit different" than previous years and cautioning Pride event attendees to "protect each other."
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