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FASCISTS WASTE GAS, FAIL TO DISRUPT DRAG STORY HOUR IN SAN DIEGO

August 7, 2023 by JOE ORELLANA

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On August 5th, numerous fascist groups descended upon the New Children’s Museum in San Diego in an attempt to shut down a drag queen story hour. Defenders rallied in opposition to the fascists, and the story hour was a success. Fascists from all over Southern California made the trip to yell hate speech at children and their defenders, consistent with the California right-wing’s pattern of behavior over the last year. Despite this event occurring at a museum, numerous signs referenced public schools and locker rooms.

Police formed perimeters on either side of the street outside the New Children's Museum on August 5th. Someone tied a balloon animal to the caution tape. A pink balloon animal is in the foreground, and caution tape runs across the middle of the frame. Behind the tape, two officers stand facing the viewer. Across the street, officers stand with their backs facing the viewer. The officers are facing a crowd of protesters, one of whom has a Christian flag, and another of who has a Don't Tread on Me flag.
Police formed perimeters on either side of the street outside the New Children’s Museum on August 5th. Someone tied a balloon animal to the caution tape.
A protester stands on the corner opposite the New Children's Museum. They have two signs. One sign is held low, and it reads "protect all god's children from drag queens." The other sign is raised, and has a transphobic meme.
Protesters with signs showed up at 9 AM.
A protester stands in front of a loudspeaker and a mic stand. The protester is holding a sign that reads,"what a drag." The protester in the background is holding a microphone, and reading from a phone.
Among the first arrivals of protesters was a couple who brought a sound system.

The first right-wing protesters arrived Just after 9 AM. They carried signs with slogans like “protect all God’s children from drag queens.”

A police officer stands with their back to the camera. Beyond them is a protester with a sign that reads, "keep the pricks out of the girls room." Further back, a protester is speaking into a microphone while wearing a shirt that reads, "pride is sin."
The largest signs immediately across the street were brought by the second wave of arrivals.
Four individuals walk perpendicular to the viewer, moving to the left side of the frame. Among them is a Proud Boy with a long beard, a LEXIT member in a matching hat, and someone in a thin blue line gaiter.
Groups of fascists arrived at the museum together.

By 10 AM, the fascist side of the street started to fill in. Following an initial meeting in the parking lot on the waterfront, fascists from LEXIT, the Proud Boys, Exiled Patriots and divorce-coded school board trolls arrived on foot.

a crowd of protesters jostle behind the police line. One is raising a sign that reads, "shut down drag shows in our schools." The words "drag shows" are written in rainbow colors. There is also a Christian flag in the crowd, an upside down American Flag, and a flag that reads "Rigged Election."
Protesters brought signs pertaining to public educational institutions. Below the upside-down American flag is one that reads “Rigged Election.”
A tighter shot of protesters behind the police line. One protester is wearing a red "we the people 1776" shirt. The protesters are yelling. They have several signs. One sign reads, "hell is a drag." Another sign reads, "ed .gov radicalizes race, sex, and gender."
Signage held by protesters frequently invoked religious themes, or allegations of a leftist conspiracy.

Most of the signs carried by this second wave of arrivals made reference to schools and locker rooms. One such sign said “shut down drag shows in our schools.” Of course, this event took place at a museum, not a school.

An officer is leaning into the passenger window of a police cruiser to talk, while four other police cruisers are visible behind him, up the street.
Police cruisers filled in where Union Street feeds into Island Avenue.

Police were all over the block, as cruisers moved into the side streets from concealed positions. When a LEXIT protester tried to take the street, police ushered her back to the sidewalk.

This image is shot from below, angled upward. On the right side of the frame, and officer is looking down into the camera while smirking. The rest of the shot consists of a crowd of protesters just behind caution tape, LEXIT members and a Proud Boy among them. There are palm trees and clear blue skies.
Known Proud Boys and LEXIT members frequently placed themselves on the forward perimeter.

From 10 AM till noon, the protest consisted mostly of bigoted statements done under the banner of the cross. Religious types, preachers and others, laundered hate speech through prayers announced over a loudspeaker. As they decried the supposed inappropriate content at this event, protesters prayed that defenders would be healed of trauma from childhood sexual assaults. 

It’s a common anti-queer talking point to say that queerness is caused by childhood sexual abuse. But abuse does not make victims queer, nor are queer people more likely to abuse children. 

Other bigots were more overt, chanting that defenders were here because “their daddy was a queer.” Several wore clothing bearing accusations of “grooming,” a conspiracy theory which alleges queer people and liberals are enabling pedophilia.

An officer stands beyond the flag. Behind him is a police line, and further beyond is a crowd of fascists.
Defenders held a large rainbow flag to help shield the walkway from fascists.
An officer stands beyond the flag. Behind him is a police line, and further beyond is a crowd of fascists.
Defenders held a large rainbow flag to help shield the walkway from fascists.

Attendees were shielded by a wall of defenders, and their movements were coordinated with defenders and museum staff to minimize exposure to the protesters.

LEXIT members have falsely claimed they disrupted the event. The museum was closed to the public, but the story hour went on as scheduled. Here’s the hate groups that showed up.

LEXIT

Carlos is in wrap-around sunglasses and a LEXIT hat. He is speaking into a megaphone that has a "babies lives matter" sticker.
Vice president Carlos of San Diego’s LEXIT chapter attended the protest.
An officer is standing in the foreground, out of focus. Souza and others are visible behind the officer, at some distance. They are yelling.
Martha Alicia Souza brought a “leave our children alone” sign. In this image, she is also waving a tiny American flag. Kinnison is behind her, staring at his phone.

San Diego’s LEXIT chapter was represented by its vice-president “Carlos,” its chapter president Martha Alicia Souza, and other locals. Sources say the chapter numbers at forty members, making this turn-out rather small.

PROUD BOYS AND ASSOCIATES

White is shot in 3/4 profile, looking to the left of the frame. He has sunglasses, a Grunt Style logo on the shoulder of his shirt, and ridiculous facial hair.
Bryan Alan White attended the protest in a Grunt Style shirt.
Louie Flores is in an olive-green shirt with a Gadsden emblem on it.
Louie Flores was also present on August 5th.

Proud Boy Bryan Alan White came out from Riverside. Assaulter Louie Flores has been a fixture at Proud Boy events in Southern California for some time, and protested on the 5th as well. Flores protested the Boo Bash in Hillcrest last year. 

The Proud Boy on the left is wearing a black shirt that reads, "fuck Biden." He has an American Flag gaiter covering his face, and a black and yellow gaiter covering the top of his head.
A Proud Boy wore a “fuck Biden” shirt to an event ostensibly meant to protect children from age-inappropriate content. This individual also yelled, “you’re here because
Kevin looks toward the camera, standing opposite a police officer. Kevin has neck-length brunette hair, and a goatee. His shirt is visibly dirty.
Proud Boy Kevin was in attendance.

”Kevin,” a Proud Boy, appeared alongside his regularly-masked companion. That companion appeared without a mask in Santa Monica last year. He also protested the Hillcrest Boo Bash last October.

Sobczak is flipping off someone off-camera. He is wearing a black shirt with a yellow brass knuckles icon on it. He is wearing a black and yellow hat that reads, "groom dogs, not kids."
Proud Boy Sobczak conferred with Flores at the protest.

Proud Boy and Defend East County jackboot Michael Sobczak attended as well. His nickname, “Mickey Knuckles,” was printed on his shirt over a brass knuckles logo. In 2021, he was removed from his leadership role in the American Legion due to his affiliation with the Proud Boys.

Joshua Barnett attended, and has previously demonstrated alongside Proud Boys He often accompanies LEXIT members like Chris Reyes.
Joshua Barnett took off his thin blue line gaiter toward the end of the event.

EXILED PATRIOTS

Parmer is standing in a black shirt with plaid shorts. He has short brown hair and a beard. He has forearm tattoos, and is carrying an American flag.
Darrick Dion Parmer spent most of the event at the rear perimeter of the crowd.
Parmer is standing in a black shirt with plaid shorts. He has short brown hair and a beard. He has forearm tattoos, and is carrying an American flag.
Darrick Dion Parmer spent most of the event at the rear perimeter of the crowd.

San Diego County fascist group Exiled Patriots was represented by Darrick Dion Parmer. An attendee informed LCRW that Parmer previously assaulted a woman during the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd.Exiled Patriots splintered off from Defend East County in around 2020-2021. The group associates with known white supremacists, like Bob Garland, a member of the Hammerskins-adjacent American Guard. Garland and other members of Exiled Patriots demonstrated at a hate rally in Santee earlier this year following a smear campaign against a local trans woman.

III%ers

Kinnison looks toward the camera. He is wearing a navy blue shirt that reads "groom dogs not children." He is wearing sunglasses. In the foreground, Bryce Henson speaks to others out of frame. Henson is obscuring Flores.
Derek Kinnison wore a “groom dogs not kids” shirt to the protest. He frequently conferred with Proud Boys, LEXIT members, and other bigoted gadflies.
Waroff is standing to the right of Kinnison in a "leave our kids alone" shirt. Kinnison is looking down at his phone.
Kinnison checked his phone regularly during the event, arching his neck down to stare into it. He often stood next to former deputy Steven Waroff.

Derek Kinnison, a Three Percenter who has been charged for his activities at the January 6th Capitol riot was in attendance. Kinnison is from Riverside, and has gone before Temecula city council to talk about micropenises. 

clinic harassers

Ruis has a beard that goes just below his sternum. He is speaking emphatically into a mic while pointing. There is a crowd behind him.
Aaron Ruis is known to clinic defenders for his steadfast harassment and “dirty beard.”
Vierno is holding up his sign, and his shirt references eternal damnation.
Adelmo Vierno held a sign that referenced Luke 17:2.

Adelmo Vierno and Aaron Ruis showed up as well. They often spend their Saturday mornings at a Planned Parenthood in San Diego, harassing patients as they enter. Vierno is known to clinic defenders for his bizarre choice to protest the clinic in a biblical sackcloth.

others

Waroff is looking toward the camera. He is in a "leave our kids alone" shirt. To the left of the frame, Flores is checking his phone.
Former deputy Waroff wore full-length sleeves that obscured his forearm tattoos.

Steven Waroff is a likely-former Riverside County Sheriff deputy according to the steep decline in his salary on Transparent California. Waroff was also a School Resource Officer at Temecula Valley High School, and has been seen at TVUSD school board meetings. He wore a “Leave Our Kids Alone” shirt popularized by school board harassers in Glendale. The bottom of his shirt read, “supported by Saticoy Elementary Parents.” That school was the site of anti-LGBTQ violence at a hate rally.

Henson is waving goodbye to the defenders, who are out of frame. Patch is filming, and visibly laughing.
Bryce Henson and Robin Nicole Patch were both present. Henson spent much of the protest on the front, but also spent time conferring with Proud Boys, LEXIT members, and other harassers.
a protester with ear-length brown hair and sunglasses speaks into a microphone. He is in an Orioles jersey, and a LEXIT flag is visible behind him.
This individual has spoken at several school board meetings in San Diego County. He has given various names, including “Joey Ramone.” Like Henson, he is likely giving a false name to conceal his identity.

Bryce Henson has appeared at numerous school board meetings over the past two years, and done security alongside Proud Boys. He regularly uses fake names to make comments at public events. Commenters from his appearance at Oceanside and Santee were present on August 5th. One commenter pictured above implied that the defenders were motivated by childhood sexual trauma.

Robin Nicole Patch of El Segundo attended the event. She has associated with known Proud Boys and white supremacist propagandists. 

Ogden is looking toward defenders, out of frame. He is in a shirt that advertises the city of Loreto in Baja California.
Ogden walked the protest with a camcorder.

Roger Ogden runs an anti-migrant website called Patriot Fire. He showed up and filmed drag defenders. His writeup of the August 5th event characterizes drag story hour as “The Drag Queen Grooming Session.”

“The Museum was closed to heterosexuals in order to cater to the drag queen grooming,” he wrote. During the humanitarian crisis following the expiration of Title 42, he filmed asylum seekers through the border wall and tried to interview them without disclosing his bigoted views. In 2020, he was detained after confronting racial justice activists while armed with pepper spray.

end

caution tape runs through the foreground of the image. Behind it are bike cops, and behind them are another perimeter line. Behind those officers are fascists.
For most of the event, the outside of the museum looked like this. This is what defenders shielded children from seeing.

As in Glendale, a coalition of fascist groups converged on a location that provides a public good. Many of those in attendance have no claim to San Diego, nor any ties to the children they claim to be fighting for.

This shot is angled toward the ground. There is a chalk message on the asphalt that reads, "the only good fascist is a not alive one." The words "not alive" are written in blue. The rest are in orange.
After an officer erased the word “dead” from this chalk art, someone wrote “not alive” in its place.

As fascists rallied, someone wrote “the only good fascist is a dead fascist” in chalk on the asphalt. An officer felt the need to erase the word “dead.” 

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