Halloween Drag Story Hour Canceled in Florida Over Neo-Nazi Threats
Organizers for a drag queen story hour in Orlando canceled the event following a string of threats from neo-Nazi groups.The LGBT+ Center Orlando announced the sold-out event, scheduled for October 29, will not proceed.George Wallace, executive director of the Center, said most threats were not explicitly violent but suggested the event would have turned into a platform for hate.
Concerned such an event could quickly turn violent, he said it was canceled for safety purposes.“Especially with an event that was going to have children, this was not something that A, I wanted them to see, or B, would put anyone in harm’s way,” he tells The Advocate.Drag queen Bridgette Galore was expected to read books at the event for 75 children and their families.Wallace suggested the current political environment contributed to the escalation in the language used, though he declined to name any politicians in particular.But other leaders in the area were less reluctant.
Florida state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a gay state lawmaker, said it was important to speak out against intolerance. He said GOP Gov.
Ron DeSantis’s inability to condemn racist extremists in the state fed the problem.“That’s why we have always spoken out against homophobia and transphobia, and it is continuing to be promoted by right-wing politicians,” Smith says. “The governor has yet to condemn Nazis organizing and protesting in the state of Florida.”Florida state Sen.
