Local News

‘A wall of love’ drowns out anti-drag protesters in Danvers

"We want to show that it's not just that everybody is welcome at the library, it's that everyone belongs at the library."

Hundreds of counter protesters arrived outside The Peabody Institute Library in Danvers in support of an educational makeup program taught by a drag artist. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

By Eli Curwin

3 minutes to read

When the Peabody Institute Library in Danvers first announced their May 10 ‘Drag Makeup For Teens!‘ program with drag artist Miz Diamond Wigfall, the library received several emails and messages pushing back on the event.

Days later, the two-hour-long, 18-person educational makeup program had transformed into a battleground for two sets of protesters. By 5:30 p.m. last Wednesday, around a dozen or so protesters had arrived outside the library to speak out against the event. Hundreds showed up in support of it.

Drag in Mass.

“We kind of just planned to make sure there was a wall of love outside,” Wigfall told Boston.com. “There were 350 people to make sure these queer people had a safe place to be at.”

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The makeup lesson, Library Director Noelle Boc told Boston.com, did not include anyone in drag. Rather, the program was taught by the Salem-based Wigfall, who showed roughly 20 teenagers how to apply theatrical makeup.

While most of the responses the library received were in support of the event, Boc said, some comments on social media and emails — a majority of which came from people living outside Danvers — called for people to arrive at the library to protest the event. Boc said she started scheduling meetings with town officials and local police to ensure the program would go on as planned.

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“We knew, due to the climate of the United States right now, and because other area libraries have gotten push-back when they have planned a kind of programming aimed for the LGBTQ+ community, that there would likely be pushback against the event,” Boc said. “So we knew when we posted the advertising for it we would likely receive comments or questions about it, which we did.”

As anti-drag messages increased, other organizations and individuals independent of the library, like the North Shore LGBT Social Network, began the process of planning a counter-protest.

On the day of the program, supporters arrived on the street outside the library in rainbow attire with makeup and signs. “Drag isn’t dangerous, but hate, bigotry, and ignorance are,” one sign read, reported The Boston Globe. The roar of cowbells, megaphones, and pro-drag and LGTBQ+ chants worked to drown out the dozen protesters.

A resident from East Boston holds a sign pointing out the few protesters outside of a drag makeup class for teens taught by a local drag artist at the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

State Sen. Joan Lovely attended the event, telling Boston.com she “made that decision to go and support the Danvers community and the LGBTQ+ community.”

“There are many times that LGBTQ+ people are targeted. So we want them to make sure that they know they are safe,” she added.

The 18 teenagers entered the library through the back, and the two-hour program went on undisrupted, according to Wigfall and Boc. The protest remained peaceful until the street cleared around 8 p.m.

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Boc said the library will continue to hold events that interest members of the community, such as events involving drag.

“We’re doing this because this is part of our community, and we know it’s there, and we know we want to do things that are supportive of that community, the same as we would any other community that makes up this town,” Boc said. “We want to show that it’s not just that everybody is welcome at the library, it’s that everyone belongs at the library. We want people genuinely feel that way when they walk in our doors and know that there is something here for them.”

Wigfall said she hopes people focus on the love and support the LGBTQ+ community provides, rather than people who speak out against it. The drag artist holds “Diamond Dine-In” events every Sunday at Gula Gula Cafe in Salem, a part of her already-packed schedule.

“I’ve done a lot in the last two years to build this community and make them feel like they are empowered and safe,” Wigfall said. “And it just makes me fight harder because there are a lot of people who don’t understand, who have no idea what drag is.”

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