Drag queens and LGBTQ activists marched through a Manhattan park on Friday as part of a weekend of Pride celebrations, with a chant of, “We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re coming for your kids. “
A topless woman was seen dancing and singing, while others laughed and joined in.
Video of the incident sparked widespread revulsion online.
“This movement prepares underage girls for mastectomy and castration and fuels a multi-billion dollar medical child abuse industry,” tweeted Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican Congresswoman for Georiga.
‘Pass the Child Innocence Protection Act. Let children be children.
Drag queens are seen in Manhattan’s Tompkins Square Park on Friday ahead of their Pride parade
Jenna Ellis, a lawyer who was briefly part of Donald Trump’s legal team, said: ‘Remember that thing they said they absolutely didn’t do?
Collin Rugg, co-owner of conservative news site Trending Politics, said the chant showed the right was always right about the threat posed by the LGBTQ community.
‘The right: ‘The LGBTQ crowd is coming for your kids.’
‘The left: ‘You make it all up. It’s a conspiracy theory.
‘LGBTQ Parade: ‘We’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your kids.’
Some noted that the chant was a joke, designed to infuriate their conservative critics.
But, they pointed out, this risked backfiring.
“That’s why polls suggest that support for equality is down. These child-obsessed radical activists will drag us all into their depravity,” said one.
“It’s intentional to drive people crazy on the internet, but it’s most likely going to backfire on you,” another said.
Another commented: ‘It’s like they’re trying to make people hate them. I don’t understand.
Oli London, spokesperson for Fairness First PAC – set up to tackle “the radical gender ideology infiltrating our children in school – especially in sports and in the classroom” – said it confirmed what had been suspected.
“They don’t even hide their intentions anymore now that they say it out loud,” he said.
And podcast host Graham Allen tweeted: “This is what EVIL looks like….”
This year’s Pride celebrations come as bills to limit or ban drag shows have been introduced in more than a dozen states.
Florida is among states seeking to ban drag shows, as shown in this sign seen at Friday’s rally in New York’s East Village.
Drag performers speak to a child in Tompkins Square Park on Friday ahead of the parade
Usually held in June, Pride events began as a way to commemorate the uprising of New York’s LGBTQ+ communities in 1969, known as the Stonewall Rebellion, and as a way to celebrate the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
In New York, a Pride Parade on Sunday will have a national theme: “Strength in Solidarity.”
NYC Pride co-chair Sue Doster said they shine a light on the transgender community and drag queens who have been targets of recent legislation in conservative states.
“They attack these people because they are less likely to stand up and fight back, which is why it’s important that we all come together in solidarity and speak up when we see these injustices,” Doster said.
Backlash against transgender people, drag performances and Pride events is nothing new.
Last year, 31 members of a white supremacist group were arrested near an Idaho Pride event after they were found crammed into the back of a U-Haul truck with riot gear.
This year, the Pride Alliance of the Treasure Coast in Port St. Lucie, Fla., reacted to possible legislation, canceling a planned gay pride parade and limiting other events to people 21 and older.
The Pride festival in Hutchinson, Kansas, also adjusted its schedule and got a new venue after losing its original location when a local business owner posted a video on social media decrying the event, which included a drag queen story hour, like depraved.
“Our event is completely family-friendly,” said Julia Johnson, president of Hutchinson Salt City Pride.
Drag artists and supporters pose for selfies in Tompkins Square Park on Friday
A drag performer poses for a photo in Tompkins Square Park before taking part in the New York City Drag March on Friday
Meanwhile, organizers in the Nashville, Tennessee suburb of Franklin opted not to include drag performances in their Pride celebrations so they could work with local officials to allow other events.
In Naples, Fla., Pride organizers agreed they wouldn’t allow drag performers to be knocked down on stage, and later announced that the drag show portion of its festival would be held in an indoor venue for security reasons.
In Memphis, drag performers plan not to change costumes mid-show or accept tips from the public if limits are reinstated.
Even in progressive-leaning Massachusetts, there has been debate over whether a drag show could be part of a Pride celebration in the small town of North Brookfield, about 50 miles west. from Boston.
The three-member selection committee had overturned a previous vote and determined that a drag show violated restrictions on “adult entertainment”.
Last week, the city’s attorney said the event could take place in the township as planned after the ACLU’s involvement.
Community support also makes a difference.
In Iowa, Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green this week reversed his controversial decision not to sign a proclamation declaring June Pride Month.
He wrote on Facebook that he signed the proclamation out of concern for the safety and health of LGBTQIA+ residents after hearing stories and receiving letters from constituents.
“I learn a lot from these kinds of letters and very much appreciate the opportunity to re-examine my assumptions and thought processes,” he wrote.