Drag panic

Drag panic (also called drag queen panic or anti-drag hysteria) is a moral panic that stems from the belief that exposure to drag, especially for minors, can be harmful, due to its perceived sexual nature.^[1][2][3] Drag panic has motivated protests and attacks against the LGBTQ+ community by extremist groups,^[2] and often includes the belief that all-ages drag performances are attempts by the LGBTQ+ community to sexualize or recruit children.^[4][5][6]

Anti-drag sentiment (and broader anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment), which had been building for a number of years,^[7] became more prominent in 2019.^[8] Since then, a series of rallies and counter-rallies have been held in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and in other countries, largely against drag queens reading children's books at family events.^[9] Throughout 2022, there were at least 141 incidents of protests and harassment towards drag events in the United States alone.^[6] Drag panic has been suggested as a motivator for the fire bombing of an Oklahoma doughnut shop^[10] and the Club Q mass shooting, among other violent incidents.^[11][12]