Just before noon, on an overcast Saturday, Northeast Ohio was home to two very different Drag Story Hours.
In Fairview Park – a suburb southeast of Cleveland – around 30 LGBTQ+ supporters gathered outside Colors+ Youth Center, bearing rainbow flags, parasols and a determined spirit.
Days earlier, The Proud Boys – a far-right, neo-fascist militant organization classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an active hate group – threatened to appear outside the LGBTQ+ youth center’s monthly Drag Story Hour.
That threat never manifested: The Cleveland chapter of the neo-fascists backed down from their appearance, with none in sight.
Inside, drag performers Captain Kae and Sassy Sascha read books like “I am Jazz” and “All Are Welcome” to a small crowd of delighted families.
About a dozen children darted between toys, games and sensory-friendly objects like bean bag chairs and weighted stuffed animals, part of the center’s monthly Gender+ Playgroup for youth under ten.
Near the front entrance, parents, caregivers and Colors+ staff chatted over coffee and donuts.
About ten miles west in Cleveland’s Gordon Square, the scene was markedly different
Cleveland drag performer Veranda L’Ni was scheduled to read children’s books to families at the Near West Theatre – a venue that has already sparked far-right backlash by hosting L’Ni’s Drag Queen Story Hour in the past.
This time, the seasoned performer had her books chosen and her outfit selected.
Outside, Angels in Action – a grassroots effort to support drag story hours across Northeast Ohio – decorated the pavement around the theatre with supportive and colorful messages.
Ninety minutes before the event’s start time, theatre staff received a bomb threat via email.
Under the subject line: “We will kill you.”
Sent from a Russian address, the message also listed the home addresses of seven people associated with Near West, including staff members.
“We will kill you, we will stop at nothing to kill you. We know where you live,” the message read. “You have forfeited your right to life and you will die. We will purify our nation of this filth.”
In addition to false and unfounded allegations of child abuse and pedophilia, the email also noted specific locations in proximity to Near West where the sender claimed to have placed explosive devices.
To protect participants’ safety, organizers canceled Drag Queen Story Hour.
As a light rain washed away the chalk messages, a lone police car sat parked outside the empty space.
Undeterred, L’Ni took to Facebook Live to read her planned stories, including “Sofia Valdez, Future Prez.”
“We can all make a difference,” L’ni said after she finished reading. “We’re going to keep reading stories.”
Below are images of Colors+ Youth Center and Cleveland’s Near West Theatre, taken by Buckeye Flame staff reporter H.L. Comeriato on Saturday, March 9. 🔥
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