The Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, protested and interrupted a Drag Queen Story Hour at Brookside Gardens on Saturday.
“On my walk this morning at a local park, I happened to come across Proud Boys awaiting the beginning of Drag Queen Story Hour,” Karen Tumulty, deputy editorial page editor and columnist for The Washington Post, tweeted.
Peak 2022. On my walk this morning at a local park, I happened to come across Proud Boys awaiting the beginning of Drag Queen Story Hour. pic.twitter.com/imYzj4Vpjh
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) October 8, 2022
Drag Queen D’Manda Martini said the families who came to listen to stories were lovely and the event organizers did everything to keep her safe.
“Unfortunately even with police & employee escort did not stop the mask wearing, giant sign holding, slur shouting cowards who came from taking my picture, pictures of my car, and verbally assaulting me,” Martini said in a tweet. “So heads up this is still happening and it is boldfaced (behind a mask) hatred in our community – it’s still not safe to be queer in public.”
Another @DQSHtweets interrupted by protestors. This time with giant signs & masks. They followed me to my car, got pics & videos of me & my car and shouted ugly things the whole time as I was being escorted out. 1/ 🧵
— D'Manda Martini (@dmandamartini) October 8, 2022
Council Vice President Evan Glass tweeted, “this is absolutely disgusting. Hate is not welcome in Montgomery County.”
On July 16, protestors interrupted a Drag Queen Story Hour in Downtown Silver Spring. Protestors screamed at children as they tried to listen to stories.
In response, community members showed up to other Drag Queen Story Hours this past summer and welcomed families to ensure the events would go uninterrupted.
Today in Montgomery County, homophobic, transphobic bigots traumatized kids & families gathered at Brookside Gardens for Drag Queen Story Hour.
The bigots kept their faces hidden, shouted awful things, followed @dmandamartini to her car w/ cameras, put signs on her windshield.🧵 https://t.co/EgTlQEj407
— Kristin Mink (@KristinMink_) October 8, 2022
“We hoped these bigots had gotten the message: they’re unwelcome and vastly outnumbered. And today we let our guard down,” Kristen Mink, Democratic nominee for council in District 5, tweeted. “And today, a crowd of children heard homophobic, transphobic slogans. Saw them on signs. Saw the performer reading to them harassed, badgered, threatened.
Mink said the community cannot let their guard down and will do whatever it takes to make clear that Montgomery County is a place where the LGBTQ+ community is protected and celebrated. She invites community members to attend upcoming Drag Queen Story Hours and join a peaceful response. “We’ve outnumbered and rendered them impotent before, and we’ll do it again.”
