Drag Performers Are At The Receiving End Of Alt-Right Attacks In Melbourne

Dolly Diamond, drag and cabaret performer and one of Melbourne’s iconic entertainers, recently had a graphic image of a noose posted to her Facebook page. 

Trigger Warning: This story discusses homophobic comments and attacks on drag performers, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

At any other time, it could have been ignored as the work of an online troll, but in recent months drag performers and performances have increasingly been targeted in Melbourne. 

An unhinged coalition of neo-Nazis, right-wing religious and Conservative figures, anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists have targeted drag performers, leading to the cancellation of multiple family-friendly drag events in Melbourne and its suburbs over the past year. The attacks have escalated from online abuse to death threats, protests, verbal and even physical abuse. 

‘It’s Homophobia At Its Ugliest’

These weighed heavily on Dolly Diamond’s mind when she saw the image on her Facebook last week. In March 2023, Dolly was subjected to similar protests against her drag story time event in Mount Gambier, South Australia. 

“I’m used to receiving a few negative comments, it comes with the territory, but it’s become next-level abuse,” Dolly told Star Observer. 

According to the drag performer, many of these attacks have their origins in anti-LGBTQI views. 

“It’s homophobia at its ugliest and we don’t need to pretend it’s anything else. I refuse to take this abuse and I think it’s up to all of us to call it out when we see it,” said Dolly.

“We’re entertainers and we’re earning a living by reading stories to children. Please don’t read anything more into it and if you do that’s your own prejudice and homophobia,” the drag performer added. 

‘Things Are Escalating’

Since September 2022, another Melbourne-based drag performer Belial B’Zarr has been targeted multiple times by neo-Nazis. “So far I have had three events of mine cancelled,” said B’Zarr, adding things had been “escalating”. 

Neo-Nazi members of the National Socialist Movement led by Thomas Sewell turned up to protest B’Zarr’s performance at a start of school year family-friendly Youth Fest organised by the local council at Queen’s Park in Moonee Ponds on September 30, 2022. The protest forced B’Zarr’s event to be cancelled. 

Around three months later, B’Zarr was scheduled to perform with other drag performers, including Alexander McKween and Randy Roy at the family-friendly Glitter Nova event organised by the City of Stonnington at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda. Hours before the event on December 8, 2022, it was cancelled after messages on Telegram channels surfaced about a planned protest by neo-Nazis and Proud Boys under the banner ‘People Against Pedos’.

During the protest outside the Victorian Pride Centre, Victoria Police arrested a 34-year-old Mount Waverley man and suspected Proud Boys member. 

Alt-Right Groups Emboldened

In April 2023, the City of Casey pulled an ‘Art of Drag’ workshop featuring B’Zarr and other drag performers after a far-right group barged into a council meeting and shouted homophobic and transphobic abuse. 

This happened just days after neo-Nazis led by Sewell attended an event organised by British anti-trans campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen aka Posie Parker outside Victorian Parliament. 

In an Instagram post, B’Zarr said that the “alt-right” groups appear to have been “emboldened” to target more LGBTQI and drag events. This is what exactly happened, after threatening phone calls and messages, including threats of physical harm, forced two other events to be cancelled over the past month. 

Meg Anderson, the owner of Alice Rebel’s Cafe and Bar in Chelsea, a south-eastern suburb located around 30 kilometres from Melbourne, was forced to cancel a family-friendly  Easter crafts and games event hosted by drag queens. 

This Is Not Florida, Says Premier

Just imagine for a moment making a death threat over a story time for kids.

Because that's all it is.

— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) May 4, 2023

Last week, Monash City Council cancelled an Idahobit event that was to be hosted by drag performers, after anti-vaxxers, and conspiracy theorists attended a council meeting and hurled anti-gay slurs. Media outlets reported about messages on Telegram by Sewell, who threatened to “bring as many Nazis as possible” to the event. 

In Parliament, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews slammed the protestors. 

“I don’t know how many of these protesters, with not an exercise in free speech but an exercise in hate speech, bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia – the list goes on,” Andrews said.

“Ugly scenes, ugly scenes on any measure, including death threats against council officers and councillors. It is a disgrace. It is a disgrace. It’s shameful.”

“And my message to those people is very clear: if you want to behave like the worst elements of the Florida Republican Party, well get to Florida. Get over there, where your hateful views might be worth something. They’re worth nothing here. We won’t stand for that ugly behaviour here. It’s appalling,” the Premier added.

Government Failure

 

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A post shared by 🦎 Belial B’Zarr 🦎 (@belial.bzarr)

Many feel more needs to be done to protect drag performers and LGBTQI events from hateful protests. 

“This incredibly disappointing outcome reflects on the State and Federal Government’s failure to protect Queer and Trans young people,” B’Zarr said in a post on Instagram.

“Those in power have a responsibility to protect our communities and provide structure and resources to local councils that prevent young people from being exposed to and impacted by violent extremism. This includes robust/stricter safety protocols, no-tolerance policies for hate, and thorough community consultation during risk assessments. Historically, the cancellation of otherwise well-protected events has emboldened extremist groups, leading to the current escalation of violence.”

According to the Victorian Pride Lobby, the repeated cancellation of drag events would “only further embolden attacks on queer events.”

“This demonstrates the need for the Victorian Parliament to urgently extend anti-vilification laws to protect the LGBTQIA+ community from hate,” Lobby said in a statement posted to Facebook.

 “Victoria Police also need to use their existing powers to protect the LGBTQIA+ community from this aggression. Enough is enough. It’s time that Councils, government and law enforcement urgently work together with the community to stop hate in its tracks,” the Lobby added.

On April 28, 2023, drag performer Tequila Mockingbird was on her way home after a gig, when she said she was “attacked and assaulted” on Smith Street. The drag performer took to social media and revealed that the incident affected her not just physically but also mentally. 

“I am carrying a lot of guilt and shame surrounding this incident still,” the drag performer said. 

“Was it because I was intoxicated? Because I was dressed in drag? Because I didn’t fight back? These thoughts and many others have constantly swirled in my mind since the attack and I have found myself becoming increasingly isolated within my own mind,” she added.