Published: Wednesday, May 29, 2024
“Drag is Joy, but it’s being attacked. All of our existence, self-expression and art are under threat. We’ve had it.”
Qommittee is a group formed by drag artists to promote and protect their art. They announced the formation of this group ahead of June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
In a release issued on Wednesday, the group stated that “we’ve always been forced to fight tooth-and-nail for our place in this universe.” “But we are also fighting a tsunami of hatred — doxxing and harassment, death threat, armed protests bombings and shootings.
Qommittee is made up of about ten drag performers who have faced threats, harassment, or violence in relation to their art. One drag performer had their venue firebombed; another performed at Club Q Colorado Springs, and assisted victims on the night that the shooting took place there. A third worked at Club Q as well as Pulse Nightclub Orlando where a gunman murdered 49 people in 2016.
Qommittee hopes to, among other things connect drag performers with communities that lack local support, including legal aid, and therapy. The committee may also assist performers and venues in navigating the business.
Organizers said that the group has already begun to establish a dialogue between its members, local law enforcement agencies and other groups.
The Qommittee is a sort of central hub that helps other communities, such as the performance communities, find resources. This could be in the form of negotiating with venues, or helping to defend against the protests we have seen against drag shows.
Drag performers have been accused of “sexualizing” or “grooming”, children. This is often done through drag story hours where performers read age appropriate material to children or drag brunches where patrons are warned about inappropriate material.
It is hard to find evidence that drag artists harm children. A jury in Idaho awarded more than one million dollars to a drag performer last week who claimed a far-right blog defamed him by falsely alleging he exposed himself before a crowd of children.
Drag as a form of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has gained popularity. Some opponents have shown up at drag events armed with guns. In the last few years, at least five states passed laws restricting performance in some way. However, courts in several of these states have halted enforcement.
Scott Simpson, a community organizer who helped Qommittee connect its members, said that as Pride Month approaches it is important to remember drag as not only an art but also an industry which fosters entrepreneurship. He said that fans should also get involved.
The time for real unity is now. Simpson, who works for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and also works as an independent consultant, said that “the time to really come together is now.” “It’s like, it drags the revolution.” We want to continue the revolution.