A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilization Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in the US

The report documents 203 incidents of anti-drag mobilization in the US, noting an increase in activity in early 2023 compared to late 2022. It identifies a diverse coalition of actors—including the Proud Boys, parents' rights groups, and anti-vaccine activists—who employ tactics such as doxxing, vandalism, and the 'groomer' narrative to intimidate performers and venues. The analysis highlights the real-world consequences of this hate, including the cancellation of events and the financial distress of small businesses.

• Between June 1, 2022, and May 20, 2023, there were 203 incidents targeting drag events in the US. Of these, 100 (49%) targeted drag queen story hours and 75 (37%) targeted drag shows.
• Anti-drag activity increased in frequency during the first five months of 2023, averaging 19.4 incidents per month, compared to an average of 15.1 per month in the final seven months of 2022.
• The Proud Boys are the most active group targeting drag events, having targeted 60 events across 20 states, with 39 of those resulting in verbal or physical clashes.
• The most prevalent narratives used to slander drag performers and their supporters characterize them as "pedophiles" or "groomers," and claim that drag is inherently sexual and inappropriate for children.
• Tactics used to target events include on-site protests (sometimes involving weapons), doxxing of performers and parents, stickering campaigns, and harassment via email or phone to force event cancellations.
• The mobilization has led to tangible harms, including the cancellation of 6.4% of targeted drag events for security reasons and severe financial and operational distress for small businesses, such as a bakery in Illinois that was forced to relocate.

APA

Martiny, C., & Lawrence, S. (2023). A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilization Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in the US. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Anti-drag-Mobilization-Efforts-Targeting-LGBTQ-People-in-the-US.pdf

Chicago

Martiny, Clara, and Sabine Lawrence. A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilization Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in the US. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2023. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Anti-drag-Mobilization-Efforts-Targeting-LGBTQ-People-in-the-US.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martiny |first1=Clara |last2=Lawrence |first2=Sabine |title=A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilization Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in the US |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=2023 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Anti-drag-Mobilization-Efforts-Targeting-LGBTQ-People-in-the-US.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martiny2023year, author = {Martiny, Clara and Lawrence, Sabine}, title = {{A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilization Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in the US}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Anti-drag-Mobilization-Efforts-Targeting-LGBTQ-People-in-the-US.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }