"Local "Proud Boys" try to intimidate the King County Library System's Drag Queen Story Hour

[tenderfoot]

Local “Proud Boys” and others opposed to the King County Library System’s Drag Queen Story Hours showed up in Issaquah on Wednesday to voice their opposition to the events. The showing comes ahead of major Pride celebrations and after recent anti-LGBTQ vandalism in Renton that the FBI has started investigating.

At a June 26 King County Library System (KCLS) board meeting, large groups of both supporters and opponents of the events showed up to voice their opinions. This included some who may be associated with the Proud Boys, a right-wing violent street fighting organization.

KCLS spokesperson Julie Acteson said both sides followed meeting protocol, but that so many people showed up to testify, the public comment was split into two parts.

At the Issaquah gathering, a group of about 10 men wearing “Make America Great Again” hats and black shirts with Operation Cold Front logos and the words “security” and “press” stood at the front of the room on either side of the audience. Others, attendee Kate Solomon said, wore knock-off Fred Perry shirts — which have become associated with Proud Boys and the alt-right.

Solomon attended the meeting in support of the storytime events and was joined by others from the LGBTQ community. While she thinks the Drag Queen Story Hours are a “wonderful thing,” she notes there has been a lot of harassment occurring over the past couple of weeks.

Pride flags were torn down in front of businesses and there has been a concerted effort to share the private information of local drag queens on social media, a practice commonly known as doxxing. Similar behavior was displayed at the Issaquah meeting, she said.

http://www.issaquahreporter.com/news/opposition-and-supporters-of-drag-queen-story-hour-make-showing-in-issaquah/

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. How impotent they must be in every area of their lives.

[MagickMuffin]

2. I think they should change their name to SAD Boys

Since they don't have a life other than attacking other people . . . . SAD!!!

[Volaris]

8. Right!? Don't these motherfuckkkers have jobs and shit to go to?

[riversedge]

3. The local sheriff should have been called to clear out the bigots!

[Wounded Bear]

6. Our County Sheriff is gay...

At one point, King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht walked to the front of the room and said, that as a member of the LGBTQ community, “it’s inspiring to see everyone out here.”

Outside, competing shouts of “love” and “shame” boomed around the entryway where about 300 story-hour supporters outnumbered roughly 75 protesters.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/drag-queen-story-hours-spark-outpouring-of-support-despite-protests/

[riversedge]

7. Thanks for the insight.

[Tech]

4. Tough guys, harassing people at a library.

How long until they get with the Oregon militia groups and start burning books and shooting out windows.

[trof]

5. There was a drag queen kid's story hour at the Mobile library recently.

I don't get it.

[UniteFightBack]

9. WHY are they allowed into the event? If they want to stage a protest they can be across the street

they should not be allowed to disrupt the story hour.

[nolabear]

10. Issaquah?? Jesus, I know Issaquah really well. It's teeny.

Well, it has a Microsoft campus and is a big bedroom community now but trust me, it’s a little Eastside of Seattle town that has a farmer’s market and a salmon festival. The very idea those assholes would threaten people at the library us unbelievable!