These MMA fighters are ready to throw down to protect drag queens amid the rise in threats
A post shared by Johnny Haught (@hyperactivehillbilly)The right-wing opposition to drag and its performers has geared up over recent years in a big way.
At this point, protesters and even armed militants like the Proud Boys are par for the course at Drag Story Hour events, and pieces of legislation like Tennessee’s new anti-drag bill are popping up across the country.But as the ignorant, bigoted opposition builds its offenses, the queer community and its allies are far from backing down.Earlier this month, a drag brunch event at Primanti Bros in Wheeling, West Virginia was cancelled due to threats made against the performers and their patrons from violent anti-drag protesters.In response, local Ohio Valley MMA owner and head instructor Johnny Haught made his support of the entertainers loud and clear.
In a Facebook post, the owner offered his services and those of his fellow fighters, writing, “I’m sure we can make sure the event stays safe.”A post shared by Johnny Haught (@hyperactivehillbilly)Playwright and actor Lee Edward Colston II shares an insider’s perspective on the inspiration for his explosive play, ‘The First Deep Breath.’In an interview with local news station WTRF, Haught emphasized that drag was a harmless artform that deserves to be protected.“The drag show is no more offensive than a Broadway show, or a stand up comedy show.
In essence, it’s a mix of both,” he explains. “At the end of the day, it is entertainment. Not part of some hidden agenda, like some would have you believe.”He also states that while he and his fellow martial artists have the skills to keep the queens safe, his main focus is on non-violence all around.“If you have control of a situation, it shouldn’t escalate,” he notes.
