Updated as of 6/14/2022 at 2:30 p.m. ET
A group of five Proud Boys members disrupted an LGBTQ+ story time for children at the San Lorenzo Library, according to ABC 7 News. No physical violence was reported but event host Kyle Chu said the men spouted transphobic and homophobic loud enough for the children to hear.
The event was titled Drag Queen Story Hour and described as just what it seems: drag queens reading stories to children. The story time was led by Chu, also known as drag queen Panda Dulce. Dulce, an experiences social worker, told ABC affiliate KGO the group of men “totally freaked out” the kids and left them terrified.
“They said, ‘Who brought the tranny? It’s a groomer. It’s a pedophile. Why do you bring your kids to this event?’” Dulce said via ABC 7. “They were successful in scaring us, but they weren’t successful in their ultimate goal, which is to make us go away...”
Alameda County Sheriff’s Dept. Lt. Ray Kelly said the Proud Boys entered the library around 1:30 p.m. Saturday and deputies responded to the disturbance to identify the men and their affiliation.
More from ABC 7 News:
“The men made homophobic and transphobic remarks against a member of the LGTBQ+ community who was hosting the event,” Kelly wrote in an email.
“We will initiate our hate crime protocol and will also address the annoying and harassing of children. More details to follow,” Kelly wrote. “The men were reported to be members of the Proud Boys organization.”
The sheriff’s department Facebook page says “The men were described as extremely aggressive with a threatening violent demeanor causing people to fear for their safety. Deputies responded to the scene and were able to de-escalate the situation.”
In a video of the incident, the men were seen surrounding the area recording with their phones. One man holds a middle finger up to the camera and says, “Two little girls I support and I love, and I will never allow you to take them away from me. Nope. Not gonna happen. Get it right.” Another man wearing symbol blurred from the video asks the person recording if the cops were called.
Finding an appropriate way to incorporate the youth into Pride Month and LGBT spaces is important. However, the fear of “grooming” and the “gay agenda” continues to restrict the ways they can learn about sexuality and gender.
Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime as well as harassment of children, per the San Fransisco Chronicle.