Cops Raid Gay Bar — But Drag Queen Had Another Idea

WeHo’s Drag Queens Are Coming for a World Record

West Hollywood may go for the glittery gold — by attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest Drag Story Hour ever.

The WeHo City Council is set to vote on whether to begin planning the record-breaking event aimed at celebrating drag, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and resistance to right-wing attacks.

Across the country, MAGA politicians and far-right activists have targeted Drag Story Hour events — portraying them as dangerous while pushing book bans and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. (The idea that drag queens are dangerous to children is a Fox News talking point and couldn’t be farther from the truth.)

West Hollywood is pushing back.

• Drag Story Hour began in San Francisco in 2015 and came to West Hollywood in 2017, where it became the first city in the LA County Library system to support the program.

Philadelphia currently holds the record, set in June 2024, with 263 attendees.

• A staff report frames the event as “a powerful symbol of resilience and resistance,” providing “critical spaces for inclusion” amid rising hate and threats.

While GOP lawmakers vilify drag queens and trans people (conveniently ignoring that far-right figures tend to pose a far greater threat to children than drag performers ever have) — progressive cities like West Hollywood are doubling down — using culture and community to fight back.

🚨💄 Cops Raid Gay Bar. The Drag Queen Kept Going.

20 Pennsylvania state police raided a Pittsburgh gay bar Friday night, evoking a violent history — but got met with a sidewalk drag show instead.

Drag queen Indica was hosting a show alongside trans model and nightlife legend Amanda Lepore when police in bulletproof vests ordered everyone out of the venue without explanation.

But not before the queen on stage forced police to wait until she finished her song. I know that’s right.

About 20 officers, including state police in bulletproof vests, city health inspectors, and the fire department, stormed the packed drag event at P Town, forcing 130 patrons outside in the rain for a surprise so-called “compliance check.”

“We waited 30 minutes outside for them to inspect every crevice,” Indica said.

But the party didn’t stop: as police swept the bar, Indica kept the show going on the sidewalk — dancing to “Pink Pony Club” while collecting tips from a singing, cheering crowd.

“This is why queer people have gotta stick the f*ck together in 2025,” Indica told the crowd.

Witnesses said police avoided eye contact with performers and refused to say why raids like this don’t happen at straight bars. Some officers reportedly asked Lepore for selfies during the raid.

Authorities later claimed the bar was over capacity. But 20 armed officers to “count heads”? That’s not enforcement — it’s intimidation. Despite claims the raid was about “safety,” it evoked a violent legacy of queer policing.

The MAGA crowd may want a return to the closet — but Pittsburgh just showed they won’t get in without a fight.

🗞️ Travel News for Gays on the Go

What’s worth knowing in queer travel this week — from major headlines to the best finds worth your clicks.

• ⚖️ The Supreme Court greenlit Trump’s transgender military ban 

• 🧬 LGBTQ+ health research? Trump also just defunded that 

• 🚔 Monitoring violent crimes against trans people? Trump also just killed that

• ✊ Keep in Mind: WorldPride’s June 8 International March on Washington will move forward as planned

☀️ Palate Cleansers + Must-Clicks

• 💦 Storytime: A gay sauna worker’s tale of a hung 93-year-old with a line of boys waiting? Yeah, it’s gone viral

• 🏳️‍🌈 “Makes me not even want to be gay anymore” — Walmart’s cringeworthy Pride merch just got dragged hard — by their own lesbian employee

• 🧳 Pride season travel tip: How to pack smart — and still not check a bag

• 🚩 Idaho told Boise to take down their Pride flag — so the city is considering a brilliant workaround

• 🏳️‍⚧️ Utah also tried it — so Salt Lake City just approved 3 official new flags to get around the ban on Pride flags

• 🦠 Cruise season alert: Norovirus outbreaks are surging — here’s how to stay safe at sea

• 🏖️ Re-upping this: the 7 most LGBTQ-friendly countries for retirement — just in case you’re done with all this

• 🇮🇹 U.S. tourist impaled on a Colosseum fence while trying to get the shot. No photo is worth internal bleeding, babe

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⚖️ Q&A Time:

Last Week’s Results:
We asked: are you ready for Real IDs being required for domestic flights? (Which starts today btw)

• 77% already have it, and—

• 23% still don’t understand what’s going on

Verdict:
Y’all are a bunch of planners! Not a single person said they’re scrambling to get it.

• “Our state has been issuing these licenses for years.”

• “The government gave us five years' notice and I still waited until last week. Classic.”

• “I have a passport. Isn’t that... real enough? What more do they want—blood?”

• “I’ve had mine for years now, but it shouldn’t be a requirement. I think everything should be a choice. They are slowly taking our rights away from us one by one”

• “Still not clear what it is, but I scanned my face somewhere and now the government sends me birthday texts.”

This Week’s Question:

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• ✅ 7 Free & Cheap LGBTQ+ Travel Experiences You Need to Try

That’s a wrap for this week. ✈️ Safe travels — and we’ll see you next time.
— The GoQueer Team