Pride season poses challenges for drag artists, exemplified by the threats faced by performers like Freddie Hercury. To combat this, the organization Qommittee was started to assist drag performers dealing with threats, culminating in the creation of the Drag Defense Handbook. This handbook, developed collaboratively with input from across the nation, includes sections on crisis response, digital security, and mental health resources, reflecting the urgent need for safety in the drag community, especially amid rising hostility.
Last year, drag king Freddie Hercury said they received a bomb threat on Facebook ahead of a gig in Niagara Falls. Hercury reached out for help to Qommittee, a network of drag performers and allies who aim to help people in just these situations. The gig went ahead with no incident, thanks to the assistance of Qommittee.
Qommittee has dispensed a lot of security advice to drag artists over the past year since their founding in 2024, and has now, with help from lawyers and other experts, distilled it into the Drag Defense Handbook.
Veranda L'Ni, a drag queen based in Cleveland, said the handbook is a collaborative collection of experiences from drag artists across the country who have experienced hatred or threat and what they've done to stand up and make these safe spaces.
The handbook contains best practices for dealing with everything from online doxing to bomb attacks, divided into sections like crisis response, violent threat response, and mental health resources.
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