Drag show near Sacramento disrupted, Proud Boys possibly involved
WOODLAND, Yolo County – A drag show in Yolo County near Sacramento was disrupted by a group making homophobic and transphobic remarks Thursday night, as the establishment also faced online threats for the event.
The incident took place at Mojo's Lounge and Kitchen 428 restaurant in Woodland, a community about 15 miles northwest of the State Capitol. Thursday was the final day of Pride Month.
Early in the evening, the establishment had canceled the event due to the threats. Christy Hayes, the lounge's owner, told CBS 13 Sacramento that some people still showed up to perform.
According to Hayes, the group of aggressors showed up at around 8:15 p.m., just after about 30 minutes of performance at Mojo's and as everyone was leaving.
"There was a pepper spray incident as an aggressor tried to force his way into Mojo's," Hayes said, adding, "Someone had an asthma attack."
Woodland Police confirmed the pepper spray incident but could not confirm who was behind that. Officers had already been in the area due to the earlier threats.
Hayes said it is believed the group at the center of the alleged threats was the Proud Boys, a right-wing hate group, but police were not able to confirm.
The LGBTQ+ community along with law enforcement have been on high alert following several high-profile incidents during Pride Month. Members of the Proud Boys are also suspected of disrupting a children's storytelling event hosted by a drag queen at the San Lorenzo Public Library on June 11.
On the same weekend, more than 30 members of a white nationalist group were arrested for allegedly planning to violently disrupt a Pride event in Idaho.
Also last month, State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) had his home searched after his staff received a hate-filled email with a subject stating "he will die today." Wiener, who is gay, vowed to continue to fight for the LGBTQ+ community.
"This escalating rhetoric by politicians, by right-wing activists, it has a consequence, words have consequences," Wiener told KPIX 5 after the incident. "I get death threats all the time and they've been escalating."
As of Friday, Woodland Police said no arrests were made. Investigators said they were reviewing surveillance videos, following up on leads and working with the FBI to identify those who made the threats.