According to local media reports and videos posted on social media, one man was taken into custody and another was left with bloody injuries after dozens of protestors gathered at the Drag Story Hour event in New York City. At least one of the protesters was believed to have been affiliated with the Proud Boys extremist group.
The protest was held outside the LGBTQ Community Center, Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood. Letitia James, New York Attorney General, hosted a Drag Story Hour, in which drag performers read children’s books to families and kids. The LGBTQ community has a long history of drag, and The Center is only a short walk from the Stonewall Inn.
A video of a protester in a Anonymous mask and being apprehended at the hands of police was posted by Freedomnews.tv’s journalist. In an email, a spokesperson for the NYPD stated that Robert Porco (53), of Fishkill, New York was arrested and charged with Assault after “he approached the victim and struck him in his face.” According to the spokesperson, the victim sustained a “physical injury to her face” and “swelling in his nose”, but was not admitted to hospital.
A separate video is shared by the same Twitter account. It shows a different protester walking away from the event, his face bloodied.
He said that he came to help and not to get beat up. He was accompanied by a Proud Boys sweatshirt-wearing fellow protester, as well as surrounded by local media.
In the background, counterprotesters could sometimes be heard shouting “Go back to Long Island” or “F— the Proud Boys.”
Representatives of James and Drag Story Hour’s New York City chapters did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request to comment on the clash.
James, however, stated that she was “devastated” and “disappointed” by the recent rise of anti-LGBTQ protests.
She stated, “Hate has no place in New York and I will continue to fight for our LGBTQ+ siblings’ rights.”
Sunday’s clash in Manhattan is a result of drag, once an underground art form, becoming a political flashpoint over the past few months.
According to NBC News, at least 16 states have already proposed legislation restricting drag performances this year. Most of these bills would restrict drag in the presence children.
While supporters of such legislation claim it is necessary to protect children against sexualized entertainment, critics argue it paints all drag as too sexually explicit and unfairly targets members of the LGBTQ community.
Tennessee was the first state to adopt such legislation. It prohibits the display of the art in public places or in areas where minors can see it. Perpetrators who break the law more times than once can be sent into prison and could face a felony charge.
As it happened Sunday, violence has erupted in the recent months as a result of the debate about whether drag is appropriate for children.
According to GLAAD, there were at most 141 incidents last year of protests and threats against drag events. NBC News has heard from several top drag queens in the country that they have hired armed guards to increase security at their events as a response to these incidents.
“My two daughters, ages two and three, have been attending Drag Queen Story Hour with their dads for many years. It’s fun and exciting for them, New York state senator Brad HoylmanSigal said in a Sunday statement. “Those who attempt to use Drag Queen Stories Hour to incite controversy and vitriol directed towards the LGBTQ community, and specifically drag artists, should be ashamed.”
