UAP Senator, Far-Right Groups Target A Melbourne Council Over Drag Event
Image: UAP Senator Ralph Babet (left) and protestors oppose drag story time event at Monash City council meeting on April 26, 2023 (right).
United Australia Party Senator Ralph Babet and some far-right conspiracy theorists turned up at a Monash City council meeting on Wednesday evening to oppose a drag storytime event.
The protestors hurled slurs at the councillors calling them “paedophiles” and demanding their arrest. A group of counter-protestors and LGBTQI activists carrying banners that read “cancel the cookers” chanted slogans like “trans is beautiful” to drown out the hate slogans. The LGBTQI activists were abused by the far-right protestors with anti-gay slurs.
Victorian police officers kept the far-right group away from the LGBTQI activists. In a statement, Victoria Police said that they had “responded to a large gathering of people at the Monash City Council offices.”
“Police attended the offices on Springvale as a precaution due to the unusually high volume of people. There have been no arrests.”
The south-eastern Melbourne council refused to give in to the demands by protestors to cancel the family-friendly drag event scheduled for May 19 to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).
Activists Called Anti-Gay Slurs
Michael Barnett/ Supplied.
Local resident and LGBTQI activist Gregory Storer was one of those who attended the council’s monthly meeting on Wednesday and said he was shocked to see the “hate towards the community” in the room.
“I sat in the gallery at last night’s council meeting, among people who were there to protest. I felt safe enough until people started yelling and banging on the glass wall while holding up signs. I moved from the gallery to stand between some police officers. The vile language and rhetoric being used were offensive and quite intimidating,” Storer said in a statement provided to Star Observer.
“As a resident and ratepayer of Monash, I took the time to ask a question of the council regarding their safe children policy. After I had finished my question and returned to my seat, I heard people calling me a ‘faggot’, ‘groomer’ and ‘pedo’,” said Storer.
Senator Demands Cancellation Of Drag Storytime
UAP senator Ralph Babet was among protesters at the Monash Council meeting tonight to picket against a drag storytime event – “stop indoctrinating children”
(Video via livestreamer ‘Real Rukshan’) pic.twitter.com/UqkKf4lcAA
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) April 26, 2023
Groups like My Place and Reignite Democracy Australia had called on their followers to picket at Wednesday’s council meeting to demand the cancellation of the Drag storytime event.
The event, which will feature drag performer Sam Thompson reading books and singing songs to children and parents, is scheduled to be held on May 19 at Oakleigh Library.
Senator Babet too had called on his supporters to attend the meeting to oppose what he called the “sexualisation of children”.
“We want all drag queen story times to be cancelled permanently. Children must be allowed to be children and must not be exposed to adult concepts,” Senator Babet posted on social media.
Monash council tonight pic.twitter.com/eceBC8I6Z9
— Grace hunf (@HunfGrace) April 26, 2023
Neo-Nazis, Far-Right Target LGBTQI Community
Over the past year, neo-Nazis, far-right groups and conspiracy theorists have found common ground and targeted trans people and drag performers.
In April, three drag events were cancelled following threats and protests from these groups. Two city councils, Casey and Boroondara, cancelled events that featured drag performers. A Melbourne cafe owner had to similarly cancel an Easter crafts and games event for children hosted by drag queens after facing a barrage of online threats, including one that threatened to find and share the home addresses of performers.
In September 2022, drag performances by Belial B’zaar and other drag performers at an end-of-school-holidays event at Moonee Pond were targeted by members of the far-right Nationalist Socialist Network. In December 2022, a 34-year-old suspected Proud Boys member was arrested after the group protested a drag event (which was cancelled following threats) at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda.
Earlier this month, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews slammed the targeting of drag events in Melbourne by far-right groups and warned that the “worst of American politics is creeping into our state”.
“They are trying to disrupt events that are peaceful, lawful. They’re not compulsory, if you don’t want to go, don’t go,” said Premier Andrews, adding “Equality is not negotiable in this state.”
I’d rather a child be read a story from a childrens book by a Drag queen then a child witness Domestic Violence at home from Daddy punching mummy or worse….
Thousands of reported DV incidents and stretched Police trying to keep the lid on this dry tinder box.
It’s a terrible shame that children have to witness DV,but their strangely learning from it at the same time.
An absolute disgrace and shame that this disgusting issue is swept under the carpet by the White power Neo-Nazis,Christian lives Matter and other “hypocritical fanatics” that swamp the suburbs that cower under this issue.
The issue is damming,and the radicals vocal response is deafening.
Yet they cry leave their children alone.
Hypocrites.
I saw the library at Glen Waverley was closing early for a council meeting and hadn’t realized at the time why.
Sorry – if I have know I would have been there to stand with LGBTQI community against these bigots.
Thanks for reporting this.
I guess no need to ask why I didn’t see coverage of this in other media.