Vandal defaces historic plaque honoring world's oldest drag queen: "Death to the sodomites" - LGBTQ Nation

"A vandal wrote anti-gay graffiti on a plaque recognizing Darcelle XV, the world's oldest known drag queen, and her famous drag performance venue in Portland, Oregon, last Friday. While the graffiti has since been removed, the venue's owner blamed the current presidential administration and reminded people about the continued importance of fighting for LGBTQ+ rights."

"When venue owner Jeremey Corvus-Peck arrived at the venue last Friday, he saw that someone had drawn a large "X" over the drag performer Darcelle XV's portrait on the plaque and written several messages of what Corvus-Peck called "vile hate speech," including, "Death to the sodomites," "Not appropriate for public advertising," "Keep away from kids," "The gayest homo ever so far," and "Little boy lover.""

"The plaque declares that the Darcelle XV Showplace entered the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. It also states that the venue opened in 1969 and has had "an instrumental impact in educating society through drag performance, which in turn contributed to the broader acceptance of the LGBTQ community.""

"The messages all echo right-wing rhetoric falsely claiming that drag performers and performances "sexualize" kids. Republican politicians have repeated these claims to justify bans on drag performers, trans entertainers, and cross-dressing artists. While some courts have ruled against these bans as broad violations of free speech, one MAGA judge recently affirmed Texas' drag ban (which only bans "sexual" performances, leaving most forms of drag completely legal)."

A vandal covered a plaque recognizing Darcelle XV and her Portland drag venue with an “X” and anti-gay messages. The graffiti was removed, and the venue owner attributed the incident to the current presidential administration while urging continued action for LGBTQ+ rights. The plaque notes that the Darcelle XV Showplace entered the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 and opened in 1969, crediting drag performance with educating society and supporting broader LGBTQ+ acceptance. The vandal’s messages echoed right-wing claims that drag sexualizes children, claims used to justify bans on drag and other gender-nonconforming entertainers. Some courts have struck down broad bans, while a recent Texas ruling upheld a drag ban limited to “sexual” performances.

Read at LGBTQ Nation