Columbus, OH – A Holiday Drag Queen Storytime event scheduled by the Red Oak Community School was canceled by organizers ours before it was set to start after the local chapter of the Proud Boys announced they would be in attendance.
The family-friendly LGBTQ+ holiday event was to take place at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus.
“The Columbus Proud Boys would like to announce that we will be attending the Holi-drag Storytime being held at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus on December 3rd! We look forward to meeting all of the attendees and welcome Americans from all over to join,” the controversial group posted on social media.
The Columbus Police Department on Saturday wanted to set the record straight about the event, saying they were not directly involved in the event but that the organizers sought to hire a special duty officer for security. Later, event planners told police they were not permitted inside the event as they had hired their own private security firm.
Police said they were in close communication with the church to ensure the safety of residents and attendees. Although the event was canceled, CPD officers did patrol outside the venue.
“The Columbus Department of Police protects all residents of the city equally,” the department said. “We had several meetings with the LGTBQ community and continue to work together in partnership to make sure they feel supported and protected at all of their events.”