Attacks on Drag Queen Story Hour

antifascist activists screen homophobic banner from view while Neo-Nazis throw up Hitler salutes
photo credit Richie Toiell

Event Date: July 23, 2022

Organized by: Nationalist Social Club – NSC 131

White Supremacists/Fascists Present:

  • Chris Hood
  • Leo Cullinan
  • Austin Conti
  • Liam MacNeil
  • Chase Gilroy
  • Stephen Farrea
  • Jason Lowe
  • Cody Baker
  • Kevin Cottle
  • Harrison Fournier
  • Adam Stelmack
  • Ryan Michael Roy
  • Tyler Moody
  • Steven Mark Van Zelst, Jr.
  • Edward Stuart
  • Alexander Dugan
  • Michael Nazzaro
  • Jeremy Cayford

Key Takeaways/Facts:

  • Loring Greenough House in Jamaica Plain hosted a Drag Queen Story Hour for local children. NSC-131 attempted to interrupt the event and displayed a large homophobic banner reading “Pedo Scum Off Our Streets”.
  • Local community members mobilized and quickly outnumbered their crowd, protecting the children and drag queens inside the event.
  • NSC members assaulted four women and nonbinary people, two of them over the age of 60.
  • Chris Hood verbally and physically intimidated two community members, one a trans woman. Boston Police Department arrested Hood and the two targets. The Commonwealth dropped charges against the two targets after a strong community-led response demanded it. As of this writing, Hood is being prosecuted for affray, and is banned from approaching the original targets of his attack.
  • At the following court date, NSC members assaulted Rod Webber, an anti-fascist documentarian, and Webber was arrested by Boston Police.

Impact:

  • The community’s rapid response to Neo-Nazi violence and intimidation effectively protected participants and performers.
  • Campaigns to defend community members from frame-up charges can be effective as part of an overall community response to white supremacist attacks.

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