Story at a glance
- A bar in Texas canceled a Disney-themed drag event after receiving threats and hateful comments.
- In a statement, management said the cancellation is not a ‘win’ for perpetrators and that they made the decision out of safety concerns for patrons and employees.
- A drag event at another bar in Denton County in August drew protesters and counterprotesters, with armed demonstrators in both groups.
A bar in Denton, Texas, canceled its Disney-themed drag brunch open to all ages after management say they received “aggressive phone calls and hateful comments.”
The event at Cool Beans Bar and Grill was scheduled for Sunday and canceled Thursday.
In a statement posted to social media, bar management said the canceled event is “not a ‘win’” for the perpetrators.
“To those of you out there who have forced us to make this decision, shame on you!” they wrote. “Shame on you for putting fear into us with your threats, your horrible [direct messages], your aggressive phone calls, and hateful comments.”
The canceled event comes two weeks after a drag brunch at another Denton County bar drew both armed protesters and counterprotesters, according to The Dallas Morning News.
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Clashes over drag performances are becoming more frequent and performers are increasingly reporting harassment from far-right groups.
The owner of Cool Beans Bar and Grill filed a police report, claiming the phone calls and social media messages caused safety concerns for patrons and employees.
“Having a safe space that day, or any day, takes precedence over all else,” management wrote in their statement. “That being said, our drag brunch has caught a lot of attention from certain political groups who have made it very clear that they aren’t happy about this event. With todays climate, it’s better to be safe than sorry and unfortunately, this is that exact situation.”
A former employee, Megan Queen, described the bar the bar as a welcoming place for the LGBTQ community and said she was heartbroken at the threats made against the establishment, according to the Dallas Observer.
The business is open to all ages during the daytime and has hosted drag events in the past that were generally open to those 18 and older.
On Sept. 8, Sara Gonzalez, a host for conservative Blaze TV, tweeted “Cool Beans Bar and Grill in Denton, TX is hosting an ALL AGES drag show THIS SUNDAY. Who’s coming with me to shut it down?” As of Monday, the tweet had over 1,500 likes.
It was also shared by Don Huffines, a conseravative Texas politician who challenged current Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the 2022 primary elections.
“The devil is coming for your kids. What are you going to do to stop this madness?” Huffines wrote about the event.
Texas has found itself at the center of controversies in recent months over the state’s restrictive LGBTQ policies, which include bans on classroom discussions and restricted use of pronouns in schools.
Last week, a judge ruled employers can deny coverage of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) — a medication that drastically reduces the risk of contracting HIV — for employees, stating that requiring coverage would violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
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