Drag Queen Story Hour host Aida H Dee threatened with a ‘mallet through the skull’
Drag Queen Story Hour founder Aida H Dee. (George Tyler Photography)
Drag Queen Story Hour host Aida H Dee has shamed those who “refuse to accept and understand us” after receiving a violent death threat.
The drag artist posted a chilling screenshot of a message they received to their Instagram on Friday (21 April), writing that they wished to show it as a sign of the “painful” abuse they and so many other drag performers experience.
The message, from an individual using the name ‘Jenny’, read: “How are you still breathing? I seriously hope someone puts a mallet through your skull, you ugly pervert. Leave the kids alone.”
Aida H Dee said in their post that the message was just one of the reasons why Pride is still a vital part of the fight towards LGBTQ+ equality.
“Despite the progress we’ve made, discrimination, hatred, and violence still exist,” they wrote.
“It’s a unifying force that brings us together to fight for a world where everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can live their lives free from fear and prejudice.”
The Drag Queen Story Hour UK group has been at the height of a controversy surrounding family-friendly drag events in the UK.
Over the past few years, anti-LGBTQ+ activists have baselessly attempted to misconstrue events such as Drag Queen Story Hour, in which Aida reads family-friendly Pride books to children, as morally wrong.
Far-right protestors have tried to disrupt Aida’s events on several occasions, including a chaotic clash between pro and anti-LGBTQ+ activists in Oxfordshire.
“The hateful message I received is just one example of the challenges faced by our community,” Aida continued. “It is a distressing reminder that there are still people who refuse to accept and understand us.
“We cannot and will not be silenced.”
Users online expressed their sympathy for Aida, saying that the “ignorant” comments they received are “vile.”
“I’m so sorry to read this,” one user wrote. “It’s hard to fathom. Sending you strength and love.”
Another wrote: “Some people’s hate is so consuming that they can’t see what unbelievably nasty, horrible and vile humans they have become.”
Speaking to PinkNews, Aida said the message had been reported to the police, but explained that there is far too much hate speech sent to them to report every single one.
“Sometimes it feels like its hundreds a day,” they said. “If I were to report every single one, the amount of time it takes for me to report it, I will have another one to report.”
“Every time that I’ve reported something to the police, I would say there’s around a 2 per cent chance I even get a call back saying they’ve done something about it… When they have done something about it, it’s usually that they have looked into it and can’t do anything.”
The sheer volume of the violent backlash against Aida has left them fearful for their life, but they’re confident that Drag Queen Story Hour is making a positive change in the world.
“I have sat there and said to myself that I really need to pay attention to my surroundings,” they continued. “I don’t want to accidentally put myself into a position of vulnerability.
“I’ve come to terms with the fact that when I do eventually die, hopefully by old age, that there will be a group of people on this planet who will celebrate my death.”
Aida added that they believe the people sending hate speech don’t simply falsely believe they’re doing the right thing by being anti-LGBTQ, but actively find it exciting to discriminate against them.
“We are dealing with people who genuinely know they are in the wrong – they genuinely know they are committing crimes, but they are very capable of getting away with it by creating fake accounts.
“This is a thrill-seeking experience for them to tell LGBTQ+ people – and I would say the majority is against trans people from what I’ve seen – that they want us gone.”
