Dog rescue’s drag queen story time leads to death threats, it says. ‘Not backing down’
The CEO of an Alabama animal rescue says her organization strives to promote messages of love and acceptance, but recently has been confronted with hateful words and even death threats in response to an LGBTQ-centered event.
Lisa Maasen, who runs Hard Knocks Rescue & Training, an organization aimed at rehabilitating dogs from abusive backgrounds, told McClatchy News that her Huntsville-based nonprofit received a threatening email on Thursday, Oct. 13.
The email came after a video of a “drag queen story time” hosted by the rescue was shared on social media by a user known for spreading anti-LGBTQ ideology, she said.
“You guys are total (expletive) scumbags for hosting a drag show story hour for little kids,” the email reads, according to a screenshot of it Maasen posted on Facebook. “I seriously hope that the next workplace shooting occurs at your organization and snuffs out everyone who approved of this.”
She said she feared for the safety of everyone at her organization and contacted the local police department and the FBI. Both agencies told her that they wouldn’t open an investigation because they didn’t consider the email a direct threat.
A spokeswoman for the Huntsville Police Department directed inquiries to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI did not respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.
Huntsville is about 100 miles northeast of Birmingham.
Drag queen story time
Maasen said she received the email a couple of weeks after the last drag queen story time was hosted on Sept. 24.
The story time includes Miss Majesty Divine, a local drag queen and middle school teacher, who reads children’s books to families and pets who gather for the event, Maasen said.
After the Sept. 24 event, a video that combined footage of two separate story times was shared on social media by Libs of TikTok - a group that shares news clips and videos, mainly about LGBTQ-centered events, and promotes an opinion that they are not kid-friendly.
In a blog post, the group accused Miss Majesty Divine of making “lewd sexual innuendos” during the story time.
A message sent to Libs of TikTok on Facebook by McClatchy News was not returned.
Maasen said the drag queen story time is meant to be a fun and inclusive activity that gives members of the LGBTQ community and all those who feel they aren’t fully accepted by society a place to feel safe and welcome. She said Miss Majesty Divine did not make any inappropriate comments in front of children.
“Growing up in the ‘80s with a single dad who was gay, we weren’t ever allowed to talk about that, and it made our lives extremely difficult growing up,” Maasen said in a video posted on her organization’s Facebook page . “So for us to have had a place to go and activities that we could’ve gone to as a family that also encompassed other things that we liked, would have been life-changing for me.”
She said her organization’s operations are slowly getting back to normal, but anyone who doesn’t feel safe coming into the facility can schedule a Zoom meeting or at-home dog training session.
“We’re not backing down, and we’re not stopping what we do,” she said . “We are going to be operating as a dog rescue and training business who is inclusive and open to anybody who wants to be here and be kind to others.”
Effects on the community
The ordeal has had a ripple effect across the community.
The Shoals Diversity Center, an LGBTQ advocacy group in Florence, about 75 miles west of Huntsville, canceled a “Drag Bingo & Show” scheduled for Oct. 16 because of safety concerns after the threatening messages received by Hard Knocks Rescue & Training, according to AL.com.
Miss Majesty Divine, who also goes by James Miller and teaches at Mountain Gap Middle School, has been placed on paid leave by the Huntsville City School District, Maasen said.
A spokesman for Huntsville City Schools did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News. Miller could not be reached for comment.
A letter obtained by by WAAY31 from the principal of Mountain Gap Middle School says that, “there are some posts circulating on social media involving one of our teachers. We are working in conjunction with district leadership to conduct a thorough review of the situation.”
Maasen said that despite the hardship, her organization plans to continue its mission of helping find homes for dogs once considered “unadoptable” because of their backgrounds or behavioral issues all while promoting acceptance for people who also feel marginalized by society.
“We would rather be excluded for who we include, than included for who we exclude,” the organization said in an Oct. 14/ statement on Facebook.
This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Dog rescue’s drag queen story time leads to death threats, it says. ‘Not backing down’."