The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department is accused of escorting a violent Proud Boys mob into the Pine Valley Library Tuesday night to disrupt an LGBTQI+ event held for children 7 and under.
In a social media post by Angie Smith Kahney, the event was a “Storytime Pride Event” for LGBTQI+ families to celebrate Pride Month. Kahney said the event was planned last month, and within 15 minutes of the event being posted online, the registration was quickly ended after the homophobic Proud Boys group stated that they would be reserving the remainder of available slots to protest and disrupt the event.
Weeks before the event was to begin, Kahney and NHC EJ Advocacy reached out to the organizer, a library employee, and asked to assist in safety measures to ensure the safety of the LGBTQI+ attendees from the Proud Boys, who are homophobic.
After advocates and members of the community sent letters to the library and county commissioners asking for their support for the event, the organizer had a meeting with the library and commissioners, who stated that the word “Pride” needed to be removed from the event title and changed to “inclusive.”
Some families who planned to attend the event did not attend out of fear of their safety and not being protected. Kahney said to support and help if needed, she attended the event.
I arrived at the library around 5:20 pm, 10 minutes prior to the event, Kahney said in a social media post. Hostile protesters were lined outside with 5 Proud Boys in costume, 2 New Hanover County Sheriff Deputies, the Chief Equity Officer for New Hanover County and a few library employees.
Kahney said once she got there, the Proud Boys was shouting “condensations to hell” as she and her son walked into the library. According to Kahney, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department and the Proud Boys was collaborating to disrupt the event. New Hanover Deputies escorted the group of Proud Boys inside the library to the room where the event was being held as they shouted obscenities, according to Kahney.
They were shouting obscenities and demanding a “tour of the pornography and drag queens that their tax money was being spent on to indoctrinate children”, Kahney post read.
The violent Proud Boys were said to have forced themselves into the storytime event room, traumatizing kids as young as 1 year old. Kahney said advocates and library staff quickly intervened to resist the mob going inside the room further, while deputies refused to get involved.
The event abruptly concluded due to the chaotic scene and families upset. As families left the library, the Proud Boys continued to harass, intimidate, and shout obscenities at them.
Kahney said deputies did nothing to protect the LGBTQI+ families from the Proud Boys.
Useless waste of tax dollars and zero protection was provided, Kahney said.
READ KAHNEY’S FULL FACEBOOK POST BY CLICKING HERE.
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department denied all and any wrongdoing.
READ NEW HANOVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT STATEMENTHERE.