A Drag Show planned for Carlow town has been cancelled due to online abuse and fears by promoters that they and attendees would be attacked.
The Show was to be held at the Seven Oaks Hotel on May 26 at 9pm with performers including Kara Kalua, Sofia Good and Coco Ri. The hotel also received threats for planning to hold the event.
Danny Hayes from TNT promotions in a statement said: "We would just like to shine some light on the cancellation of the drag queen event on the 26th of may in Carlow.
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"This was due to no fault of ours nor the hotel; it was purely down to online abuse and threats that both TNT Promotions and the hotel received. Our number one priority at any of our shows is to make sure that everyone involved is safe which led to this decision.
“It's a sad day in the world we live in that an event like this can't go ahead. This event was always an over 18s event. It was an event for people to come enjoy themselves. We do apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
Some of the abuse thrown at the organiser on social media included: “Maybe stop grooming children into your cult and there wouldn’t be a problem.”
Another commented: “I think people were worried it would end up like what happened in Austin, Texas. People are on high alert and rightly so. It's a pity more drag queens aren’t speaking out about it because they are being used and will be tarred with the same brush and that would be awful for them.
Speaking on KCLRFM Mr Hayes continued: “We received hate mail, people going online that children were going to the event and that they were coming to the event to hurt people. I have small children too and these comments were very hurtful to me.
“I have run shows in the town and people would know me but when it came to it we were afraid they (protesters) would come to our home and where would it stop.
“It manifested itself on social media, they are obviously keyboard warriors but when someone threatens something in any shape or form you have to take it seriously. I don’t know if it's a real person or isn’t or are they going to turn up or not.
Mr Hayes said they went to hotel management to inform them of the online threats and told him “we’ve been receiving it as well”.
“We thought it was best to keep everybody safe and cancel the event. Safety is paramount. I know I’ve let a lot of people down and it’s my first time dealing with this. Hopefully we can come back and make the show stronger with the help of John Paul Payne ”
The Seven Oaks confirmed that they had no problem holding the event and are fully supportive of the LGBT community.
John Paul Payne, Carlow Pride Festival chairperson added: “There is no reasoning with these people (online threats and abuse). In the moment that was the right decision for the promoter to make. The promoter and the Seven Oaks (Hotel) are not at fault. They did nothing wrong.
“The problem is online abuse. They are the problem I wouldn’t want my children around. The Seven Oaks and promoters got a lot of stick for cancelling the event but they are stepping into the LGBT world and they don’t know what the right or wrong thing to do is.
“Danny pulled the event and was more upset that the LGBT would be upset about the online abuse. He did nothing wrong. The event from the start was about positivity for the (LGBT) community. Look at the power of these online trolls, look at what they are able to do, let's not give them the power”.
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