A Year of Hate: Anti-Drag Mobilisation Efforts Targeting LGBTQ+ People in

performers and the LGBTQ+ community via hate speech and targeted harassment Inspired by increasing transphobic and and the chilling effect on venues which anti-drag rhetoric and conspiracy theories may choose not to hold drag events out about drag performers emanating from the of concern about the reaction; secondly, US, a loose network has begun to mobilise the further radicalisation of groups an. [...] Anti-lockdown The term “anti-lockdown” has come to stand in for Extremism a range of positions held by individuals who broadly Extremism is the advocacy of a system of belief that oppose the implementation of restrictions on individual claims the superiority and dominance of one identity- freedoms in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [...] Based on official police advice despite this the meeting still had to be briefly that the event could not be held safely, the council suspended partway through due to the behaviour chose to cancel it, apologising to the LGBTIQA+ of protesters in the public gallery. [...] Conclusion Extremist mobilisation, the intimidation of organisers and venues, and the potential for both censorship and self-censorship of drag performers and the LGBTQ+ community more broadly in against the library and the event went ahead as a sold- response to threats are the key problems faced by out success.34 drag events in Australia today. [...] Both risks have the potential to cause harm to the drag and LGBTQ+ communities, and to lead to LGBTQ+ people and drag performers feeling less safe and welcome in the community more broadly.