A drag queen concert in Lebanon’s capital Beirut was disrupted on Wednesday night by an angry mob of conservative Christians chanting homophobic chants, according to a Reuters witness and attendees.
The show, hosted by two Lebanese drag performers known as Latiza Bombe and Emma Gration, was performed at a bar in Beirut known for being a safe space for LGBTI+ people.
But shortly after it started, the two presenters, wearing tights and fully made up and wigs, ended the show after being alerted that angry men were approaching the venue.
“We are here, we exist and no one will silence us. However, sometimes, to keep doing what we’re doing, we have to do it smart. Unfortunately, we have to cut the show short,” said Emma Gration onstage.
The pair and some attendees rushed to the locker room when a group of men could be heard gathering outside the venue, spitting and shouting that they were “disgusted” by the event, according to a Reuters witness who was with them.
The group hid for about 40 minutes, during which time the two performers removed their makeup and false eyelashes to blend in with the audience in case the conservative group invaded the venue.
See also: Drag queens challenge standards in the fight for freedom
Attendees left safely after security forces arrived and dispersed the crowd of conservatives.
Footage posted outside the same venue on Wednesday showed men identifying themselves as “The Soldiers of God”, an anti-LGBT Christian movement in Lebanon.
Source: CNN Brasil
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