Philadelphia drag celebrity Brittany Lynn, who has been performing for almost 30 years, never dealt with anti-drag pushback until Trump’s first administration in 2016. Brittany Lynn saw an increase in harassment during 2022 — when anti-LGBTQ rhetoric misconflating queerness with “grooming” surged more than 400% on social media ahead of midterm elections. As misinformation about trans people and drag shows became a political talking point, Republican lawmakers made a fuss about drag queen storytimes — which Brittany Lynn is known for.
Far-right trolls and protesters have targeted Brittany Lynn’s early literacy programs for almost a decade — but more recently, that harassment has escalated. Protesters now know personal information — like her middle name, her dog’s name, who her friends are, and her previous workplaces.
“That’s when I was like, ‘I have to cut off access to these people,’” Brittany Lynn said — noting that she faced the most vitriol, even regular death threats, on her storytime Facebook page. So she decided to delete that account.
“It wasn’t about stopping what I do,” she underlined. “It was more of a need to limit access to myself.”
Brittany Lynn isn’t the only LGBTQ+ person using social media to be placed at risk with little support from platforms. Meta has removed a policy that once protected the queer community, now allowing language describing LGBTQ+ as being “mentally ill.” It’s a shift the Human Rights Campaign has said now permits abuse against LGBTQ+ people while protecting other groups.
Misinformation about drag performers has a “trickle-down” effect, Brittany Lynn explained — beginning with problematic and inaccurate remarks made by MAGA Republicans which make their way to religious leaders or conservative influencers who repeat those statements to broader audiences over time. Many believe what they’re told — and take to their keyboards in action.
But online harassment creates a tangible safety concern — as performers are highly visible members of the community who host in-person gatherings. A 2024 report from the Dangerous Speech Project — an organization that tracks use of speech that can inspire violence — shows that dangerous speech is “flourishing” and that rhetoric dehumanizing trans and gender nonconforming people is on the rise both in online and in-person spaces.
This makes finding balance between creating safety and preserving connections within the LGBTQ+ community can be hard.
“When I dismantled my page, I lost contact with [8000] families,” Brittany Lynn said, noting that she hopes fans find her elsewhere to learn about upcoming appearances.
“We’ve had to go grassroots almost,” she added. “Back in the day before the internet, we handed out flyers. We messaged people directly who were our supporters.”
She recommended that performers who can’t hire security take that old-school approach — announcing shows through event invites or private messages if they’re worried about safety. Before deleting her storytime account, Brittany Lynn tried locking it down a bit — requiring fans to send a request before they could interact. Performers can also consider creating a private group for followers to join rather than a public-facing page.
“I have security at my drag storytime events and I also have a powerful army of librarians that are ready to fight the fight,” she emphasized — noting that it’s often strong women, including lesbians, who come to her defense at in-person gatherings.
Bearded Ladies Cabaret is also investing in physical security. The group recently went viral after receiving a National Education Association grant to develop a recent show, “Beards on Ice,” which used drag comedy to teach audiences about climate change. Right-wing media flagged the use of funds as “wasteful government spending.”
This has led the group to be more vigilant — just in case it leads to ramifications, but it’s not the first time they’ve had to think about these things. Anti-queer rhetoric and increasing violence toward the LGBTQ+ community led the group to start investing in safety measures over the past few years.
Wesley Flash, managing director of Bearded Ladies Cabaret, said he’s worried about protests and individual disruptors, doxxing and online harassment or trolling, gun violence, plus health and wellness issues — such as COVID and disease exposure, dehydration and weather-related concerns.
The group has a “safety lead” — who prepares risk assessments and recommends interventions — on its production team and hires security for events which provides on-the-ground coverage.
“Every show is different because it has different needs,” Flash said. “Other factors to consider are the cost to implement safety recommendations [and] to train up our teams on basics like CPR, active shooter training, or de-escalation. Also with this work comes added risk to the person in the role and therefore rates can really vary upwards based on circumstances.”
“Factoring these new costs into our budgets makes for candid conversations with funders, donors, and our teams,” he said, as it has added a significant expense and more planning time behind the scenes.
Even though the end result is something audiences likely don’t even notice (which Flash admitted is probably best), it’s an important investment. And it does impact the bottom line for artists — but more than income is lost.
For especially young audiences, drag queen story hours have been proven to build appreciation for diversity and feed imaginative play in addition to providing other benefits. Drag often serves as a first place to explore gender identity and broader experiences in LGBTQ+ culture and community — especially when access to other safe spaces is unavailable. Participation in drag could benefit participants by providing social support, a creative outlet of empowerment and a reminder of options for living outside the gender binary.
Young people lose local LGBTQ+ role models, and vulnerable people of all ages also lose vital resources and relationships when communication with and connection to drag performers becomes out of reach.
What can fans do?
Get in touch with artists directly if you have questions about how to best support them. But it’s always a good idea to spread the word about upcoming gigs in affirming circles and show up enthusiastically (especially with tips).
Fans who are concerned about safety should reach out to performers, producers and venue managers to learn about the steps professionals are taking to increase security. Learning how to keep yourself safer might help you feel more comfortable attending events — but if threats feel too worrisome, consider supporting favorite artists through online interactions, purchasing merch and attending at-home watch parties when available. You could even book a favorite act for a private event.
Know where to find your favorite artists on multiple platforms in case they need to leave one. The Dangerous Speech Project promotes the idea of “counterspeech” or directly undermining problematic rhetoric. If you’re not confrontational, it’s still important to pay close attention to what LGBTQ+ performers share about their experiences and advocate for them in ways that feel safe. This could include reposting stories, tagging journalists and trying to get the attention of leaders to rectify issues they encounter more quickly and justly than if artists are attempting to right wrongs on their own.
Be mindful about contacting elected leaders if legislation that targets drag culture or trans and gender nonconfirming people is proposed — and Brittany Lynn underlined, “Vote!”
“I don’t know what this administration is going to try in three years to stay in power,” she said, underlining that LGBTQ+ must continue to stay vigilant and get active to fight back.