Protesters disrupted more than 50 drag events over the last year in the UK, report finds
At least 57 all-ages drag events were disrupted in the UK over the last year, according to a new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).
Of the countries analysed as part of the project (Australia, France, the UK and the US), the US had the most anti-drag incidents at a total of at least 203, with the UK having the second highest figure.
The report concluded that anti-drag rhetoric is spreading to the UK from the US, with anti-LGBTQ+ narratives – such as associating the “groomer” slur with members of the community – being pushed to make drag appear as a threat, particularly to children.
Of the 57 events affected, protesters were present at 51, while 10 were cancelled ahead of time due to safety concerns. READ MORE: Drag is under attack – but these queens aren’t backing down anytime soon Performers, staff parents and police regularly faced harassment at abuse, with there even being incidences of violence and arrests. “These incidents should not be viewed in isolation” The majority took place between July 2022 and August 2022 when Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) went on a nationwide tour of libraries in the UK, with the report highlighting that a number of Conservative Party politicians – including Emma Nicholson, Sara Britcliffe, Nick Fletcher and Lee Anderson – added fuel to the fire by publicly criticising the events.
