In a bold move to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community, Attorney General John Formella of New Hampshire has filed a civil rights lawsuit against 19 unnamed members of the New England neo-Nazi group NSC-131, along with their leader, Christopher Hood. The lawsuit accuses them of violating the state’s anti-discrimination laws by attempting to obstruct a drag story hour event held during Pride Month at Teatotaller, an LGBTQ-owned coffee shop in Concord, the state’s capital.
The event, where drag queens read children’s books to kids, quickly turned chaotic as a viral video posted by Juicy Garland, the drag queen hosting the event, showed the neo-Nazis donning masks, sunglasses, baseball caps, and matching attire while shouting and intimidating the attendees.
Formella emphasized the importance of combating acts of hate aimed at terrorizing individuals or businesses into violating the state’s antidiscrimination laws. He stated, “The Department of Justice will continue to enforce the State’s antidiscrimination laws to the greatest extent possible to ensure that people of all backgrounds can live free from discrimination, fear, and intimidation because of who they are.”
If found guilty of violating the state’s anti-discrimination law, Hood and the 19 unnamed individuals could face a substantial penalty of $10,000, as announced by the attorney general’s office.
Emmett Soldati, the coffee shop’s owner, welcomed the attorney general’s complaint, viewing it as a powerful message of support for New Hampshire’s LGBTQ community. Soldati expressed his gratitude, highlighting the significance of such actions in reinforcing a sense of belonging for the LGBTQ community.
In a previous complaint, Formella had accused Hood and another NSC-131 member of violating civil rights law by displaying a banner reading “Keep New England White” along a New Hampshire highway. However, those charges were dismissed in June, leading to Hood maintaining a lower profile since then.
Additionally, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office recently filed a complaint against Hood and the neo-Nazi group, accusing them of violating the state’s civil rights laws in a series of incidents spanning from July 2022 to October 2023.
The rise in anti-LGBTQ demonstrations and acts of violence against the LGBTQ community in recent years has been alarming. Particularly concerning is the surge in demonstrations targeting drag events and performances, with over 200 anti-drag incidents reported nationwide between June 2022 and May 2023, as per a June report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The report also revealed a higher frequency of demonstrations in the first five months of this year compared to the last seven months of the previous year, underscoring the urgency of addressing these issues.
