+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

Surveillance footage shows someone throwing a Molotov cocktail at an Oklahoma donut shop that recently hosted a drag event

Nov 5, 2022, 00:25 IST
Insider
The GoFundMe page for The Donut Hole in Tulsa, Oklahoma.Jeff Brame/GoFundMe
  • Video shows someone throwing a Molotov cocktail at a donut shop after it held an event by people in drag.
  • No one was harmed, and the store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, had minor damages, local news reported.
Advertisement

Surveillance footage shows someone throwing a Molotov cocktail at a donut shop in Oklahoma that recently hosted an art installation by people wearing drag.

The business' glass door and window were previously shattered in October, days after the event, the local CBS-affiliate News on 6 reported.

The store, The Donut Hole, is located in the Brookside neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Surveillance footage the store posted on Facebook shows a person with a red hat, black hoodie, and dark blue pants walk in front of the building, smash the glass door in, and throw a lit Molotov cocktail inside.

They also tacked anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and Bible verses on the front of a business next door, according to Tulsa World, citing a spokesman from the Tulsa Fire Department. The incident — which resulted in minor damages, as the cocktail didn't have a significant effect — took place at around 2:30 a.m. on Monday, News on 6 reported.

Advertisement

"We don't have words at this point," the donut shop wrote on its Facebook page on Monday.

The page later posted a statement about the incident, saying the damage was not severe and that they felt lucky that neither their shop nor the neighboring businesses were harmed. The art event was a one-time show called "The Queens Dirty Dozens" that featured donut sculptures, according to the post.

"Our hearts are broken that someone could even be this hateful to our friends who attended the show to do something like this," the post says.

A GoFundMe fundraiser was set up to support the donut shop after it was first targeted in the middle of October.

People have continued to donate after the second act of violence, and the fund has now raised more than $23,000, significantly higher than its goal of $2,500. Any money raised beyond the goal will be donated to the LGBTQ organization Oklahomans for Equality's Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, according to Tulsa World.

Advertisement

"Sarah is a small business owner and this type of disruption can be hard for a small business to recover," the fundraiser's description states, referring to Sarah Swain, the shop's owner. "She's going to need community help to rally behind her to get her shop back open."

The Tulsa Fire Department and the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office didn't respond to Insider's requests for comment.

A surge in similar threats and violence against drag events and performers

Numerous establishments that hosted drag events have been the target of disruptions and attacks this year by individuals and far-right organizations, including the Proud Boys.

In late October, large groups of protesters and counterprotesters threw smoke grenades at each other outside a Drag Queen Story Hour event in Oregon. Other drag programs in multiple states were canceled after receiving threats.

Hateful rhetoric about drag-themed activities and the LGBTQ community has surged on social media platforms, driven by right-wing figures including Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Advertisement

The Twitter account Libs of TikTok has tweeted numerous times targeting drag events and made false claims about their danger to children. A drag performer who was in a video the account shared previously told Insider that they received an onslaught of hateful messages after that post.

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article