On Saturday, June 4, right-wing protestors led and organized by self-described “Christian fascist” Kelly Neidert descended on a Dallas, Texas, event titled “Drag The Kids to Pride,” hurling slurs and causing a fight on the street. 

Right-wing protestors screamed, “you guys are disgusting,” called attendees “groomers,” and called for families to “repent for [their] sins.” Some protestors attempted to push their way into the bar, and a physical altercation occurred in the street outside the venue.

“Drag The Kids to Pride” was intended as a fundraiser to support a local LGBTQ+ youth organization. Neidert is the executive director of the newly formed Protect Texas Kids organization.

Among the far-right protestors was extremist YouTuber John Doyle, an associate of white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. Right-wing troll Alex Stein was also present and can be seen trying to force his way into the venue.

After the event concluded, Protect Texas Kids provided a statement to a local Dallas news station indicating that the group was “very happy with how the event went overall.”

Protect Texas Kids is an anti-LGBTQ nonprofit that describes itself as “protecting kids from the toxic, indoctrinating agenda of the left” in an effort to “fight back” against Critical Race Theory, gender-affirming care, and “anti-American sentiments.”

The organization regularly posts anti-LGBTQ content on its social media accounts and bolsters posts from white nationalist figure Michelle Malkin. Last month, Malkin wrote a glowing opinion piece on Neidert for her graduation.

Neidert has a history of promoting and organizing transphobic and anti-LGBTQ events on her former college campus and at one point garnered the support of former Proud Boys lawyer Jason Lee Van Dyke.

Neidert has appeared repeatedly on various right-wing media outlets to complain about “cancel culture” or to defend her actions as a conservative student activist. She has appeared on Fox, One America News, Newsmax, and the QAnon-linked Real America’s Voice.

Spread to right-wing media and elected officials

The protest quickly reverberated into a right-wing media outrage cycle. Several high-profile media figures covered the story while pushing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and attacking drag performers for supporting the fundraiser. Video footage from the event appeared to spread from Alex Stein, “independent journalist” Tayler Hansen and far-right grifter Andy Ngo into mainstream right-wing Twitter.

Bigoted YouTuber Steve Crowder went so far as to liken people who throw drag events to Hitler.

White supremacist Fox News host Tucker Carlson described the protestors outside the event as “brave.”

Former Trump aide Steve Bannon described the event as “an assault on the American family” and “child abuse” in an interview with QAnon-supporting Florida House Rep. Anthony Sabatini.

Right-wing YouTuber Tim Pool retweeted the video, adding a comment relying on the homophobic “grooming” narrative that has gripped the right-wing media for the last several months.

The event prompted Texas House Republican Rep. Bryan Slaton to release a statement that he intends to file legislation in the state to ban minors from drag shows. Sabatini tweeted that he would put forth similar legislation in Florida.

Protect Texas Kids appears to be planning more Pride Month protests in the Dallas area over the coming weeks. Throughout June, the LGBTQ community will hold countless events celebrating Pride Month that right-wing forces may feel emboldened to prey upon, given the events in Dallas. This would put queer people under threat of physical violence. As these events occur, the media has a responsibility to accurately describe these protests as attacks on the LGBTQ community from an organization that is rooted in Christian fascism.