It was Sam Culver’s first time performing drag at the Community Church of Chesterton in Geauga County. Culver, a junior Kent State student, just finished getting ready for his performance sporting a big blue wig and a clown nose. 

“It was the ugliest thing ever,” Culver laughed. “and then this woman started shrieking at me.” 

Culver said he remembered looking around because the woman appeared hurt, but only for a moment before she started her verbal attack. 

“She opened a Bible and just start screaming at me and she was like, ‘You are a creation of Satan and you’re here to hurt the children,’ and there were police officers pushing her away,” Culver said. “All I could do was wave to her because I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of a response.” 

A year later Culver returned to the same church to partake in a drag queen story hour. 

Just days before the event, a 20-year-old man was arrested for attempting to burn the church down. According to the United States Department of Justice, the man threw Molotov cocktails at the building. 

Authorities said the man attempted to burn the church down to stop future drag shows from taking place. 

Culver was set to perform at the church and said he was warned by a friend that members from far-right extremist groups were going to protest. 

“She was texting in my group chat every single day, she was like, ‘I am terrified for my own safety in this event’… it  made circulations around Proud Boys group chats, there were threats from the KKK and the Nazi party.”

Despite active threats, the Community Church of Chesterton did not cancel any drag events.

“I just remember that day something kind of awoke inside of me… gay, straight, person of color, no matter what religion you are, what political party you are, no one should ever have to be terrified going to their job,” Culver said. 

After the event, Culver posted on his Instagram about his experience and encouraged his followers to not back down to these threats. 

“I want to show the world that my existence is not demonic,” Culver wrote on Instagram. “ Just because I do drag, I am not a groomer, pedophile, demon, or am actively trying to harm others. I just dress differently.” 

Rachel Caton, a 2017 Kent State graduate and drag performer, also experienced threats from right-wing extremist groups after she advertised an upcoming event at Scribbles Coffee. 

Caton organizes drag daytime and night events and has a show at Scribbles Coffee Company called “Coffee with Clara Tea” where she hosts events under her drag name, Clara Tea. 

“It’s overall a good time to enjoy the art of drag without feeling the pressure to drink,” Caton said. “It’s a really safe and inclusive space for everyone and I think that’s really important.” 

Caton’s events allow people who do not enjoy the party scene, excessive lighting and loud noises to enjoy drag performances in sober spaces. She also aims to bring a safe space for LGBTQ+ members who are not of age, more reserved or neurodivergent to enjoy the art of drag. 

Caton did not cancel the event but did have to make adjustments when advertising her event to prevent further threats. 

“I have never in my whole entire life as a drag queen and a showrunner dealt with this before,” Caton said. “I woke up one morning to the owner of Scribbles, texting me a screenshot of a text of a man saying ‘I’m going to bring protesters.’” 

While awaiting her next “Coffee with Clara Tea” event, Caton woke up one morning to an alarming text message. The text was a screenshot of a man threatening to bring protestors to her next event.

Drag performer safety has been an issue in recent months due to anti-drag legislation proposed by conservative lawmakers. 

Laws such as Tennessee State Bill 3, otherwise known as the Tennessee Drag Ban, target drag story hours to prevent children from attending drag events. 

Politicians in support of anti-drag legislation have labeled all-ages events as a way to “groom” children and exploit them to sexual content. This topic has caught the attention of right-wing extremist groups. 

According to GLAAD, formerly the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, as of late April 166 anti-drag protests and threats occurred in the United States in 2023. 

“For safety precautions, I sent a mass email to everyone who bought tickets and said, ‘We are being targeted by the proud boys who are an extremist hate group so just letting you know there might be protestors,’” Caton said.

Caton changed the way her show was advertised by changing the event’s information to 18 plus instead of all ages, allowing her to avoid canceling the event. 

“I don’t want anyone to ever put themselves in harm’s way… it’s my job to make sure everyone is having fun and safe,” she said. 

Caton successfully diverted all protests and was able to continue her event. 

“It’s ridiculous that we have to even talk about it… when you go to like normal shows at like a bar, you’re not questioning the safety and validity of your own art,” Sam Culver said. “It’s only these all-ages shows… that’s insane to me.” 

Erin Sullivan is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected]