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Violent clashes broke out at a “drag queen story event” in Oregon, which would include an appearance by an 11-year-old whose former “drag mom” is a suspected pedophile.
Protesters against the event faced supporters outside the venue, Old Nick’s Pub, which is named after Satan, which also hosts adult fetish nights.
Some protesters on both sides of the approximately 200-strong standoff were armed, police said, including semi-automatic rifles.
But despite the chaotic scenes outside the pub in Eugene, the event went ahead anyway – although the child performer, whose stage name is Vanellope MacPherson DuPont, reportedly didn’t take the stage as planned.
It has since emerged that a woman claiming to be one of Vanellope’s “drag moms,” Kelsey Meta Boren, was charged with three child sex offenses earlier this year.
Tensed clashes outside Oregon’s Old Nick’s Pub, where the drag story event took place
Some protesters were armed with semi-automatic rifles during the standoff outside the event
Former school employee Boren, 31, who allegedly sent child pornography online, has posted several photos of herself with the girl on Instagram, with some referring to her as “my sleep child.”
Boren was arraigned in August and is currently in custody.
Dramatic footage of Sunday’s protests showed angry protesters ‘lobing projectiles’ including smoke grenades at the rival crowd.
Supporters of the event shouted ‘go home Nazis’ and carried a banner that read: ‘Protect trans youth.’
Meanwhile, counter-protesters held a sign that read, “What kind of monster exposes kids to this?”
They also shouted ‘save our children’ to the supporters.
The pub promoted the event by claiming it would show what ’11-year-old drag queen could do’
Pedophile suspect Kelsey Boren (pictured with girl) has said she is Vanellope’s ‘drag mom’
An earlier Facebook post from the pub promoting the event said: ‘Vanellope is here to show you what an 11-year-old drag queen can do.
“With all the charm and sweetness of a bowl of sugary cereal, Vanellope is here to brighten up your morning with all her drag talent.”
The message received a mixture of criticism and support.
A statement from Vanellope’s family and friends said the relationship with Boren was strictly “professional” and that they only met “maybe four or five times.”
The statement added: “Meta-Boren was not a family friend, nor was she ever a mentor to V in the drag world.
“They have also been out of contact since pre-covid and all ties have been severed since Meta-Boren’s arrest in August.”
Vanellope also has another handler, Sunshine Ray MacPherson – real name Jennifer Hibbs – who is a drag artist.
Hibbs told the post millennial: ‘Her actual mother does her choreography so that it all fits. We wouldn’t let her do anything suggestive… it’s terrible that people think we’d let her do that.’
Hibbs also tried to distance himself and Vanellope van Boren.
Vanellope’s nanny, Jennifer Hibbs (pictured), who is also a drag artist, said: ‘We wouldn’t let her do anything suggestive… it’s terrible that people would assume we would let her do that’
Old Nick’s Pub, which hosted the drag queen story event, has also held $10 a night fetish events
The pub has claimed backlash for dragging events in the story into a “targeted agenda” to “push forward anti-LGBTQ legislation.”
It has also said, ‘Drag is an art form. The idea that it is inherently sexual is a form of bigotry.’
Old Nick’s has also previously hosted $10 per ticket fetish nights, with past events promoting “impact play,” “rope suspension” and “electric play.”
Eugene Police Department said it had made “security plans” for the attack even before it took place “because opposing groups communicated plans to attend, possibly armed.”
A police statement said groups of protesters began arriving at about 9:45 a.m. and firearms had been found in both groups.