CHARDON, Ohio -- The Proud Boys are circulating notices encouraging people to protest a drag brunch, Saturday, April 1, at Element 41 restaurant on Chardon Square. The brunch is a fundraiser, sponsored by the Community Church of Chesterland, to raise money for the church’s safe space program. It sold out in less than 48 hours.
At 4 p.m., the same afternoon and separate from the brunch, the Church is hosting a drag story hour at its Chesterland facility, 11984 Caves Road. Tickets are free on EventBrite and limited.
RELATED: Protesters threaten violence at Chardon drag brunch
The Proud Boys are an all-male, neo-fascist organization that supports violence as a means of societal manipulation and change. Their targets include the LGBTQ+ community. The church is an inclusive organization that provides experiences and safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
It is unclear whether the Proud Boys will protest at the restaurant on the square or at the church, or both. But local law enforcement and private security organizers are taking the potential for conflict at these events seriously. Multi-agency cooperation is part of the plan to make the events safe, said Chardon Police Chief Scott Niehaus.
“The goal,” he said, “is that people are able to assemble and exercise their rights on whatever side of the issue they may be and do it safely,” he said. “We are certainly aware of protests that have occurred in other places, and we’ll be prepared for any protest that may occur. We’ll be ready.”
Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand said local law enforcement departments have been working daily on the security plans. “The challenge for us is that events are in two different locations,” he said. “We’re going to need a lot of personnel.
“We are committed to maintaining a peaceful protest and allowing them to put on their show without disruption, and ensure the safety of everyone,” he said.
Security organizers for the events are telling drag show supporters to stay home unless they have a ticket. They want to avoid conflict between the protesters and LGBTQ+ supporters while keeping the focus on the fundraiser.
“I’m helping the church keep everyone safe. We DO NOT need people on the ground to help us. What we need is money to pay for physical barriers and security guards,” Mallory McMaster posted on her Facebook page with a request to spread the message. McMaster is president of The Fairmount Group, an event production and communications company that recently moved from Cleveland to Chardon.
In a recent interview, she said it’s impossible to argue with and change the minds of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and Proud Boys. That futility is why drag show supporters -- unless they have tickets -- should stay home.
“They are coming to get attention. They want conflict. They want to say both sides are instigating this,” she said of the Proud Boys. “They don’t deserve it.”
“We are not involved in planning what’s happening outside. We didn’t invite the Proud Boys. They’re coming on their own. They don’t represent our community. If these protests do happen it won’t be my neighbors and my community,” said McMaster, who moved to the small community last year. “It will be people who don’t live here.”
Her warning follows a March 11 anti-drag protest in Wadsworth Memorial Park in Medina County. On that day, drag queens at the “Rock-n-Roll Humanist Drag Queen Story Hour” read stories to attendees. Meanwhile, nearby protestors clashed with LGBTQ+ supporters. Two protestors were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
Despite threats of violence, the Community Church of Chesterland will not cancel the Element 41 brunch or subsequent story hour on its property. “We feel that the event is needed and wanted in the community and that’s been reinforced by the support we have seen online and in phone calls to the church, said Megan Carver, social justice co-chair with the Community Church of Chesterland. “Part of doing the work of the church is doing the hard work in the face of adversity. "
McMaster agreed. “These attacks on the LGBTQ community are meant to push us into hiding, to silence us. That’s the fight we’ve had from the beginning. We’re not scared, we’re not going to be silenced. We’re going to focus on creating the type of community we want to live in.”
Paris Wolfe is a life and culture reporter for Cleveland.com. She has a special interest in food and dining. You can reach her with restaurant and food news and story ideas at pwolfe@cleveland.com. Here’s a directory of her latest posts. Follow her on Instagram @pariswolfe.