Members of Perth’s LGBTIQA+ communities gathered in the Cultural Centre over the weekend to voice their concern about the growing number of laws around the world that outlaw drag performances and restrict the rights of people who are transgender.
The gathering was organised by new activist group Queer Liberation Boorloo who said they were concerned about the recent protest outside a Drag Storytime event at the City of Perth Library which drew a loud group of protesters, including a man who made Nazi salutes at the event.
Organiser Nova Sobieralski said what they saw at the protest was “terrifying”.
“I’m used to seeing a handful of bigots, but the wall of at least fifty strong, an at-least-fifty-strong wall-of-hate, was something different.
Sobieralski said the crowd protesting the Drag Storytime event was made up of obvious neo-Nazis, agitators, and people who they described as ignorant or deceived.
“The majority of the people there couldn’t tell you the difference between drag and trans, whatever we were to them, we were queer and that was enough.”
The event encouraged those attending to dress in drag and was triggered by a marked increase in LGBTIQA+ events across Australia being forced to cancel due to threats of violence against attendees.
Last year Fremantle’s Youth Pride Group was forced to cancel an event featuring drag performers after it was targeted by conservative groups. The event was later held at a secret location. In recent months more than ten LGBTIQA+ events in Victoria have been called off due to safety concerns.
The call for drag events to be closed down has spread from the USA where several states have introduced legislation outlawing drag performances from occurring in public spaces, or in front of people under 18-years of age.
“Drag Story hours exist to let kids know that queer people exist, and we are beautiful.” Sobieralski said. “We don’t want to make kids queer. We want queer kids to survive.”
Drag performer Oscar Wilder also spoke at the event delivering a drag story time moment, reading a section of the classic Alison in Wonderland.
Find out more about Queer Liberation Boorloo at their Facebook page.
OIP Staff
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