Richmond drag reading interrupted day after performer targeted by far-right American politicians

A Richmond drag reading event was interrupted by protestors wearing signs with rainbow swastikas Monday, a day after its performer was attacked on social media by far-right Republicans from the U.S.

It is unclear if the two incidents are connected, but Bryan Bone, a Richmond high school art teacher, was performing under his drag persona Miss Gina Tonic at the Drag Queen Storytime when two men wearing the signs arrived Monday.

Bone says he has been hosting the event for years, and has never seen anything like this.

“It was just absolutely horrible to bear witness,” said Bone. “They started taking pictures of me, which was very nerve wracking, and taking pictures of the kids,” he explained. “I mean, I’m a public person. I’m on the flyer. They know what I look like. But the kids? That was just awful.”

“One guy kept walking through the audience of kids bumping into these kids that were trying to watch and waving the signs in their faces,” he added.

Bone says he has received harassment online before, including Sunday when a TikTok account named “Libs of TikTok” reposted one of Bone’s old videos showing his bright and colourful classroom, with a caption saying he had turned his classroom into a nightclub.

Lauren Boebert, a U.S. Congresswoman representing Colorado’s 3rd district, then reposted the video to her Twitter account where she has 1.4 million followers and left a nasty message about choice in schools. Conspiracy theorist and another far-right Republican, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a U.S. Congresswoman representing Georgia’s 14th district, also interacted with the video, leaving Bone subjected to hate-filled messages from strangers.

“I have been featured on the most extreme right-wing, violent Twitter accounts, TikTok accounts,” said Bone. “They didn’t take my name off anything when they posted this, they don’t care that I’m Canadian, and that everything in the video is actually celebrated by our education system here.”

Bone says the overwhelming negative attention led to him closing his TikTok account.

“[That] was the first wave of an absolutely horrifying experience, like I’ve never experienced before, and I’m literally talking millions, millions of hate, comments, direct messages, retweet, reposts,” explained Bone.

He says that while the online hate has been intense, there have been moments of light from the support has received.

“I had a woman who just testified as an abortion rights advocate and practitioner, a doctor who reached out to me saying, ‘Hey, I’ve been dragged through the mud, very recently. I stand with you while you’re doing this’,” he said.

“I got a lot of hate. But I’ve gotten a heck of a lot of people saying, this is amazing, I want to do this in my classroom … We’re looking forward to coming to your school in the next few years.”

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Richmond Councillor Michael Wolfe, a fellow teacher and personal friend of Bone, was at the event with his wife and daughter when the protestors arrived.

Wolfe explains how protestors first stood off to the side, but soon got very close and personal.

“They were like circling around the children that were seated,” said Wolfe.

“One of the things I heard them saying a few times was ‘I have COVID don’t touch me’ yet they were getting right in people’s faces,” he explained.

Wolfe says he agrees with their right to protest but said the behavior of the protestors was beyond what was acceptable.

“I had to reach out for my daughter because she was in the path and we’re one of them was walking dangerously,” Wolfe said.

“My daughter … started to get upset and other children were holding their parents and my daughter was crying.”

(Photo credit: Michael Wolfe)

Wolfe says an off-duty officer who was in attendance helped diffuse the situation, but the situation felt out of control.

“Many of us from the public were trying to shield the youth from these individuals. The event ended abruptly and everyone was asked to leave,” said Wolfe.

“It was traumatic for all all those in attendance.”

Wolfe says Bone is a tremendous asset to the school system, and credits Bone for putting in tireless efforts to create these sort of programs and events.

“He is such a strong, confident leader in the community. In the whole Richmond School District, he’s number one, he’s the go to person for all other schools,” said Wolfe. “Everyone really relies on him to educate, to be the point person.”

In a tweet, Premier John Horgan says he admired the courage displayed by Bone in this situation but says it’s a situation that never should have happened.

“[It] shows we still have much more to do to end homophobia and transphobia.

Despite the event being interrupted and the online hate he is receiving, Bone said the positivity he’s received from Canada and from around the world has helped ease the trauma of the incident.

“This positivity warms my heart and keeps me going minute-by-minute through this storm,” said Bone.

In a statement to CityNews, Richmond RCMP says a member of the team’s Diversity and Inclusion Section was at the event in support of promoting diversity and inclusion during Pride week, and stepped in when needed.

“This matter is being investigated as a hate-motivated incident. However, as there was no criminal offence committed, charges are not being considered at this time,” Cpl. Ian Henderson said.

– With files from Charlie Carey and Michael Williams