A group of West Virginia mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters are offering security to help a local drag show that canceled an event after receiving threats.
MMA coach Johnny Haught and his trainees volunteered to provide security to the Primanti Bros restaurant in Wheeling, West Virginia, for the show it was set to host.
Organizers announced that they would be cancelling the drag brunch scheduled for 26 February, after performers and patrons received threats, reported Outsports.
“We couldn’t wait to party with you all, support the local LGBTQIA+ community, and show that a little glitter never hurt anyone,” wrote the event’s organizers, S&S Productions, a Pennsylvania-based LGBTQ+ event organizer, on Facebook.
The message also said, however: “We were so incredibly excited to bring you a fabulous brunch … Unfortunately due to the amount of threat … we’ve decided for the safety of everyone involved to cancel the event.”
After hearing about the cancelation, Haught, who owns an MMA gym, decided to offer security services.
Haught said that he and members of his gym could help, although the event has not yet been rescheduled.
“I volunteer myself and my fighters to stand guard so that people can do exactly what they want to do,” said Haught on Facebook.
“The drag show is no more offensive than a Broadway show, or a standup comedy show. In essence, it’s a mix of both,” Haught told WTRF, a local TV news channel.
“At the end of the day, it is entertainment. Not part of some hidden agenda, like some would have you believe,” Haught added.
Across the US, states have passed or proposed more than 100 laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights lately, especially against transgender people, NBC News reported.
Such legislation has targeted almost all aspects of life, ranging from sports to healthcare to education.
Republican lawmakers have also taken actions to crack down on drag shows, with legislators in at least eight states taking steps to either restrict or ban them.
