Around the country, growing numbers of independent booksellers are finding themselves the targets of anti-LGBT harassment, with bomb threats proving to be an increasingly common tactic.
In recent weeks, Loyalty Bookstores in Washington, D.C., and Silver Spring, Md., Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca, N.Y., and Mosaics in Provo, Utah, have all been targets of bomb threats related to drag storytime programming. Sadly, they are not alone, and the numbers only continue to rise.
Per the nonprofit Drag Story Hour, there were nine documented incidents of bomb threats targeting official DSH events in 2023. In 2024, there have already been at least 12 such incidents, with the number growing almost every weekend.
DSH executive director Jonathan Hamilt noted that bomb threats represent only a small fraction of the harassment directed at LGBT communities and LGBT-inclusive gatherings. In 2023, there were more than 60 documented cases of harassment targeting DSH or adjacent programming; the figure more than doubles when including anti-drag incidents in general.
Hamilt called it "deeply disturbing" that adults are choosing to incite violence and intimidate children, parents, and storytellers at family-oriented events while claiming to want to protect children.
Despite what the public perception may be, Hamilt continued, Drag Story Hour is "not scrambling." The organization is nearly 10 years old and its efforts are "very organized." Anti-LGBT harassment is nothing new, though sometimes it takes different forms, and the organization is "working on getting through this."
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| (photo courtesy Drag Story Hour) | |
To that end, Hamilt offered some advice to booksellers looking to host drag storytime events (whether directly affiliated with DSH or not), or events featuring guests or performers from any vulnerable group. He also advised reaching out to safety@dragstoryhour.org, saying, "We have best practices that we don't want to gatekeep."
When it comes to advertising drag events, or any event that might be similarly targeted for harassment, Hamilt emphasized that typically, most harassment comes from parties who are not local and often not even in the same state. Keeping event advertisements in-store and off the Internet can go a long way in cutting down on attacks: "If you don't need to put it on social media, don't."
It is also important to "be on the same page with everyone when law enforcement is involved." In the event of protestors appearing at the store, calling law enforcement may not be necessary or, depending on the circumstances, even desirable. In the event of a bomb threat, Hamilt said, "law enforcement will show up or need to be called," and there should be a plan in place.
Bookstores should also consider "who are you putting up front" when dealing with law enforcement or protestors. Instead of putting the most vulnerable staff members, whether queer, trans, or from a historically marginalized background, in the most exposed position, put the "cis, white allies in front."
On the subject of allies, Hamilt brought up the various ally and defender groups that sometimes offer to help at events. Making sure they're all on the same page as the store is essential, as sometimes these groups can be confrontational, combative, and prone to escalate situations. "These are children's events," Hamilt said. "We don't scream back. We de-escalate."
Hamilt pointed out that it is also worth being clear about terminology. People often use the term hate crime in the vernacular, but "there is a strict, lawful definition," and hateful speech doesn't equate to a hate crime. Keeping documentation of any harassment, as well as any communication with law enforcement, is valuable too.
Drag Story Hour is working with the Southern Poverty Law Center on a report detailing anti-LGBT harassment, and Hamilt said DSH will be at Children's Institute in New Orleans, La., in June. The organization will host an interactive workshop that will include discussions of floor plans of fictitious bookstores, employee capacities, de-escalation plans, and more. He reiterated that the information from these sessions "could go for anything, not just drag events." --Alex Mutter