Anti-LGBT protests have begun to “creep in” from America, according to an Irish drag queen.
They were speaking following the cancellation of a drag show in Co Carlow, following a small number of complaints sent to the hotel and the organiser.
The complaints suggested that children would be attending the Queens of the Party event.
Speaking to Lunchtime Live, drag queen Charmin Electrik said: “It's a ticketed event that was happening at nine o'clock.”
“If you're buying tickets at nine o’clock for your child, the bigger issue is you doing that and not three queens on stage lip-syncing to ABBA,” she said.
“It was an over-18 event that we were doing.”
‘Starting to creep in’
Ms Electrik said this is the first time the Queens of the Party have had a cancellation due to political views on drag shows.
“We do monthly shows in Drogheda and Dundalk, and it's been nothing but sell-out shows since we started them,” she said.
“Never an issue, never a problem … no complaints, just proper, happy enjoyment from people – that was this.
“This is the first time we've seen something like this happen, but it is something that's starting to creep in with everything that's going on in America at the moment.
“People are seeing on … their social media and they're starting to form this belief over here of what's going on.
“They have probably never seen a show in their life.”
Drag Queen Pixie with Narviz Barbara (left) and Ibeth Gomez Lozan (right) at the National Museum Collins Barracks for the launch of the St Patrick's Day Festival. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie‘Scaremongering’
Irish-American drag queen Kara Kalua said, "I have a very strong opinion on what's happening in the States right now and it is very concerning, very scary."
“[Our] show has been pulled for, not exactly the same reason, but it is similar rhetoric,” she said.
“Bringing children into the conversation and mental health and very homophobic comments and scaremongering.
“These people probably have not been to drag shows they don't know it's really just a bunch of singing and dancing.”
Ms Kalua said her performances are usually met “a lot of positivity from people, even in the streets.”
“Very rarely are negative things said to me – it's very, very disheartening for a show to cancel for this reason.”
A man with Gadsden flag protests outside Element 41, a restaurant holding an 18-and-over drag brunch to raise money for a local church's safe space program on April 1, 2023 in Chardon, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Nigro/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa USA/Alamy Live News‘Pride in Carlow’
Mayor of Carlow Fintan Phelan said he was “very disappointed to hear of the online abuse that was happening.”
“I haven't seen any criticism, but I believe that there has been some sent from the statement to the organisers and to the hotel,” he said.
Mr Phelan said the backlash “represents a very, very small minority of the community here in Carlow”.
“It's very worrying to see the growing trend of online abuse and targeting of LGBTQ+ events,” he said.
“The Pride festival has said they would be willing to work with the promotor and the venue to have the event relaunched, which I think would be great and I think it would get a packed-out attendance.”
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