Armed Fascist Group Terrorizes Church, Shuts Down Youth Storytime

A Unitarian Universalist church in Colombus Ohio cancelled a Holi-Drag Storytime for participants’ safety, after armed members of the Proud Boys showed up, and police did not.

by Evan Urquhart

Armed fascists succeseded in intimidating a church in Ohio into cancelling a Drag Queen Story Hour-style event yesterday. One group of masked fascists paraded in paramilitary style chanting “Life, Liberty, Victory,” others wore camouflage and military gear, and many openly carried long guns. Protest signs accused organizers and participants of this costume, dance, and story-reading event of child abuse. Terrorized participants were forced to make the call to cancel in light of lackluster police involvement in security and fears from performers that they would not be safe.

Inside the UU church, on an empty stage decorated with rainbow trees and signs of intended festivity, Cheryl Ryan, the manager and one of the founders of the Red Oak Community School, a K-5 school that rents space* from the First Unitarian Church of Columbus, is located behind the church, and were the organizers of the event, gave an emotional but firm statement on behalf of organizers of the event.

Ryan, who had to pause twice to contain strong emotions, harshly criticized the actions (or lack thereof) of local law enforcement. “There is a long documented and lived history of law enforcement doing harm to the LGBTQ community, among others, that continues to this day … Extreme right wing groups, including the Proud Boys, enjoy a cozy relationship with law enforcement,” Ryan said.

Ryan then described efforts she’d taken to try and contact local law enforcement after recieving threats and hearing of fascist plans to disrupt the event. She claimed these efforts had been rebuffed and that she was given no assurances that police would ensure attendee safety. When the day came and heavily armed gangs of paramilitary fascists were openly marching in front of the venue, weilding guns and chanting about victory, a chaotic situation involving LGBTQ community volunteers who had attempted to create safety plan in the absence of police, a police force which showed up after not having made any effort to co-ordinate with event planners, and drag performers who didn’t feel safe without robust police protection, led to the decision to cancel the event, according to the statement Ryan gave.

Ryan also expressed frustration that others, including the City Council, had expressed to the press that police were monitoring the situation, but had not reached out to the planners of the event or ensured that the police were actually doing so.

Equality Ohio, a mainstream LGBTQ+ group in the state, had previously expressed confidence that LGBTQ+ leaders were working with law enforcement, and asked counter protesters not to attend.

It seems clear, from both Ryan’s statement and from the fact of the cancellation, that whatever police did in response to an armed threat towards a children’s event in a church, it was not sufficient to ensure that the event would be able to go forward safely, as evidenced by the fact that it did not.

This is not the first time Unitarian Universalists have been targeted for violence by the extreme right. In 2008, a right wing extremist murdered two people during a church youth play in the sanctuary of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, TN. The far right often targets the faith due to its longstanding committment to social justice, including women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.

*CORRECTION: The original version of this sentence stated that Red Oak Community School is run by the UU church. The school rents space from the church but is independent, according to local sources familiar wth the school.