Protesters at the pro-drag rally. (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
About 100 protesters gathered in Main Street Gardens at noon on Saturday, March 18, in response to bills in the Texas Legislature attacking drag performers.
The protest followed by march was organized by Victoria Phillips from Athens, Tex. Speakers included drag performers Classy Misdemeanor and Kylee O’Hara Fatale, a trans woman from Fort Worth named Rhea and Luis Fuentes, a gay man who is challenging Rep. Marc Veasey in the 2024 Democratic primary.
The crowd was filled with allies. One man’s sign read, “I love my trans son.” Several carried signs that said, “Kill Bills 1266, 708, 643, 476,” referring to four of the anti-drag proposals before the Legislature. Another was more blunt. “Nazis not welcome here,” it said.
One anti-LGBTQ protester stood apart from the crowd and blew a shofar (a ram’s horn used during Jewish High Holidays, but he wasn’t Jewish because he kept shouting about Jesus). An armed group supporting LGBT rights and Dallas police kept him away from the rally.
— David Taffet
