Somerville Library Cancels Drag Show Story Time Following Bomb Threat

Somerville Public Library canceled a drag show story event on Saturday after receiving an anonymous bomb threat.

The event, organized by Drag Story Hour Boston, would have provided local children the opportunity to hear stories read by drag queens. Just before the event’s 2 p.m. start time, Somerville and Cambridge Police responded to the bomb threat, sent via email. Police searched the area but found no explosives.

Somerville City Council President Ben Ewen-Campen posted on X after the event’s cancellation that he was “beyond outraged.”

“Bigoted right-wing cowards are stooping to new lows every day but we’ll never let them steal our joy,” he wrote.

Protesters holding homophobic signs gathered outside the library before the event, though they were outnumbered by more than 100 supporters who rallied in favor of the drag story hour.

One video posted on X showed a woman holding a sign in front of the library reading, “Don’t desensitize your child to predatory behavior! Please just go home.”

Somerville and Cambridge Police Departments declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. It remains unclear whether the person who sent the threat was connected to the protesters.

Sarah Kate Ellis — CEO and president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation — wrote in a statement to The Crimson that the incident is a “part of a larger pattern of threats against LGBTQ people and our allies.”

“This weekend’s bomb threat in Somerville is just the latest in hundreds of anti-drag attacks across the US,” she wrote. “Drag Story Hour is an entertaining way to champion literacy and self acceptance with children, who are quite used to seeing performers in costume and love anyone with a sense of humor.”

According to GLAAD’s Alert Desk, Massachusetts has seen at least 63 anti-LGBTQ incidents since June 2022, including a bomb threat against a similar event at the New Art Center in Newton.

The Boston chapter of Democratic Socialists of America wrote in a statement that the bomb threat serves as a reminder of homophobic sentiment, “even in the heart of a progressive state such as Massachusetts.”

“At a time when right-wing extremists across the country are attacking the rights and safety of the LGBTQ+ community, it is disheartening to see such an attack in our own community,” they wrote.

—Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at sally.edwards@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.

—Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Threads @asher_montgomery.