On Tuesday, May 9, TNT Promotions confirmed that it has cancelled an upcoming drag event in Carlow after organisers and the venue allegedly received multiple complaints about it. 

Sharing the news on social media, the company wrote: “This was due to no fault of ours or the hotel it was purely down to online abuse and threats that both TNT Promotions and the hotel received. Our number one priority at any of our shows is to make sure that everyone involved is safe which led to this decision.

“It’s a sad day in the world we live in that an event like this can’t go ahead. This event was always an over 18s event. It was an event for people to come enjoy themselves,” it added.

When contacted by GCN about the content of the complaints, TNT Promotions revealed that there were “dozens” of comments, including threats from people who said they would come to the event to “hurt” organisers, performers and attendees.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsByn7nICRy/?hl=en

Three drag artists were booked for the event in the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow, namely Kara Kalua, Sofia Good and Coco Ri. The performers are a part of Queens of the Party, with the company’s owner, Charmin Elecktrik, speaking to Newstalk about the situation.

After being told that the show was cancelled, Charmin confirmed with both TNT Promotions and the hotel that they had received complaints. However, the majority of the expressed concern was regarding children being in the audience, despite the fact that the show was for over 18s.

Having put on an array of successful shows in other counties prior to this, Charmin stated: “This is the first time we’ve seen something like this happen, but it is something that’s starting to creep in with everything that’s going on over in America at the moment.”

Also speaking on air was Kara, an Irish-American queen who, after her radio appearance, wrote on Instagram: “This is honestly part of a larger conversation about the negative rhetoric and verbal abuse towards the LGBTQ+ and Drag community that has been occurring in the US and has been echoing here in Ireland”.

Fellow performer Coco Ri also responded to the news, tweeting: “Make it make sense. I’m suppose to be able to work too”.

Make it make sense. I’m suppose to be able to work too x

— Coco Ri (@Cockorigh) May 8, 2023

While it appears that the performers believe the event could have taken place safely, the fact that there were numerous complaints that led to its cancellation is a cause of concern for future shows across the country.