Washington DC—Once again a diverse group of citizens from the Washington DC community showed up to a Drag Queen Story Hour with their rainbow parasols and rainbow flags to protect it from a hate group attempt to disrupt it. The child’s book reading venue was held in Southeast Washington DC on Saturday where similar events have been held.
Inside the children’s story venue, Drag Queen Tara Hoot read stories to the children and their parents while outside a diverse grassroots group calling itself the Rainbow Defense Coalition twirled colorful umbrellas and danced to music playing over a loudspeaker—completely shutting down the hate group nearby. The citizens lined the entire block outside. The Rainbow Defense Coalition concept has sprung into action in many other States in response to right-wing attacks on Drag Queen Story Hour venues, including Florida, Arizona, Maryland, and Virginia.
The hate groups have been spurred by conspiracy and misinformation about the purpose of the Drag Queen Story Hour venues. Right-wing groups have threatened educational community building with harmful outcomes with intimidation, threats, and violence. Several right-wing extremist groups have already assaulted and bullied citizens at previous story hour readings.
The self-described religious group outside Saturday’s Drag Queen Story Hour bull-horned pseudo-religious doctrine and rhetoric, with several in its group trying unsuccessfully to access the venue where the children and their parents were enjoying the reading venue. But those in the Parasol Brigade formed lines with their umbrellas blocking them from the reading hour. They sang and chanted, drowning out the hate language. Others from supporting groups provided security by tracking infiltrators’ movements to keep them at bay. About a dozen DC police stood listlessly around their cars nearby while the volunteer citizens coordinated the street security action.
In the end, their coordination allowed the reading venue to go on without a hiccup, interruption, or incident. After the venue ended inside, escorts saw children and their parents safely on their way behind umbrellas and flags.
Several in the hate group objected over their bullhorn to being compared to Proud Boys, a nationalist group that has bullied and harassed Drag Queen Story Hour venues across the region, but the self-described religious hate group came across in language, tone, and aggressiveness similar to Proud Boy hate groups.
“We Keep Us Safe“
The Rainbow Defense Coalition (recently renamed) has been showing up to Drag Queen Story Hours because the threats from right-wing groups have grown aggressive both online and in presence when the groups show up to harass and disrupt the reading venues. Police have provided scant protection to the venues, if any at all, so citizens organized among themselves. The citizens provide essential support with large numbers of allies and supporters. Their security and organizational tactics have been successful, keeping the venues secure and well-monitored for threats against the business hosting the events, the parents and their children attending the events, and the drag queens holding the events.
After the reading inside ended, Queen Tara Hoot joined the Rainbow Defense Coalition outside, thanking them for their support and volunteerism. Tara Hoot held toy unicorn bubble blowers in each hand and danced outside on the sidewalk to celebrate another successful educational event with the community. The volunteers turned a stressful situation into a scene of dance, laughter, levity and fun, while building community spirit in troubled times. But underneath there was growing worry among many because in many States antiTrans and Drag legislation is being introduced.
For the Trans community recent developments in several States’ legislatures threaten their access healthcare, their identity, access to public space, their human rights, and their lives. For the Drag community some States’ legislators want to take away their rights to perform at public venues, including Drag Queen Story Hours. Some of the legislation being considered is intentionally vague, making it difficult to tell directly that it targets the minorities affected, but the results will undoubtedly harm the Trans community.
Anti-Trans Bills Multiply In States’ Legislatutres
Over the past three months States’ legislatures have tripled the number of anti-Trans bills pending approval. Some bills have already passes States votes in legistures and await final signature. If all the these bills pass they will remove healthcare access rights for transgender persons, access to public spaces for drag queens, threaten their rights to exist, and hasten the end of human rights for other minority classes of the LGBTQIA2S community.
The passage of such bills also signal possible overturn of same sex marriage laws, and decreasing access to healthcare for those with unwanted pregnancies.
According to Trans Legislation, an organization tracking bills being proposed nationwide, there have been 471 bills introduced in 44 states to reduce or limit Trans rights. Of those, 16 bills have passed, 415 are still active, and 40 have been defeated.
Among the States considering anti-Trans legislation is Florida, which now has 14 bills pending. One of the bills, FL S1674 requires exclusive restroom access based on gender, and if it passes, will provide criminal penalties for anyone in violation of the law.
Another Florida bill still active, FL S1320 prevents public educators from referring to gender preferred pronouns, and restricts instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Arizona has 11 anti-Trans bills pending, including SB1702 which prohibits trans hormone therapies, and SB1001 which restricts public educators from referring to a the biological gender of a student.
Access to pending anti-Trans and anti-Drag bills in States legislatures and updates to the progress of the bills can be found here.
Trans Day of Vengeance
The spate of legislation has prompted the Trans community to organize in a way not seen since the Stonewall Riots in New York City 53 years ago. The Trans community is planning a march in Washington DC on the Weekend of April 1 and plan to take their opposition straight to the seat of government at the U.S. Supreme Court. They will have their own security detail accompanying them.
