Welcoming Geauga Co. church firebombed for hosting drag queen story hour

Federal prosecutors charged Aimenn D. Penny, 20, after he firebombed a Geauga County church that was scheduled to hold a drag queen story hour.

On March 25, Penny attempted to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland in Chesterland Ohio, using Molotov cocktails. Nobody was in the church at the time. Chesterland is 20 miles east of Cleveland.

Penny admitted that he wanted to burn down the church to "protect" the children from drag queens.

Proud Boys called for a protest at the church's scheduled April 1 Drag Queen Story Hour. The church went ahead with the event but used heavy security. Ten minutes before the show was to go on, the Proud Boys posted that it was an April Fool's Prank. The heavy security and dangerous weather may have played a role in their saying it was just a prank.

About 100 people showed up to the Drag Queen Story Hour, and the event went on peacefully without incident.

If convicted, Penny faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for the explosive materials charge and up to 10 years in prison for the destructive device charge.

You can find the following additional coverage online:

Drag Queen Story Hour goes on despite neo-Nazi's attempt to burn church down The Guardian April 3, 2023
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/03/drag-queen-story-hour-chesterland-community-church

SWAT Police, Bomb-Sniffing Dogs, and Extremists: A Drag Queen Story Hour in America Vice News April 4, 2023 (in-depth report and video)
https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kx9ed/drag-queens-chesterland-church-extremists

"How Extremists Use Irony to Spread Hate" NPR April 26, 2021 How rightwing extremists use "Just joking!" to avoid consequences.
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/26/990274685/how-extremists-weaponize-irony-to-spread-hate

About the Author

Deb Spilko Deb created most of the written content of the EGN during all but its last year in print form and for much of that time was the main editor as well. She was also responsible for writing the grant application that essentially helped bring the EGN into existence. She has continued to write informational articles and compilations of entertainment and resource listings for the web site and has returned as writer and co-editor of the current print edition.