In the face of threats made towards a local restaurant in West Virginia due to its scheduled drag brunch, a group of mixed martial arts fighters have offered to stand guard at the venue so the event can take place in peace. Jonathan Haught, the owner of Ohio Valley MMA in Wheeling, made the offer on Facebook, saying, “I’m not afraid to stand up to people, and I train to fight people all day, every day, so if somebody really wants to attack somebody, let them attack me instead. Don’t attack the drag queens.” The brunch was scheduled to take place at Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar in Triadelphia, West Virginia, but the event was canceled due to the amount of threats received by the organizers.
Haught and his trainees are ready to guard the restaurant if and when the drag brunch is rescheduled. This act of kindness comes amid a culture war over drag, with Republican lawmakers in at least 15 states, including West Virginia, proposing restrictions on where and in front of whom drag shows can be performed. Lawmakers in Tennessee have even passed a bill restricting these performances.
Haught, who has attended drag shows in the past, called out the politicians who oppose them, saying, “The basis of this is ignorance. The politicians that fight against drag shows, they’ve never been to a drag show.” While drag has been a longstanding art form, it has only recently become a contentious topic in America. Nonetheless, Haught’s selfless act of volunteering to stand guard in the face of threats demonstrates a willingness to protect and promote inclusivity.
