Katie and Brian Orsi Statement

After speaking with some like-minded parents, we became interested in hosting a Drag Story Hour event and trying to do some good in our community. We were happy to host as we are part of and allies to the LGBTQIA+ community. We live this every day and reflect this support in our shop. For those who are unfamiliar, Drag Story Hour is a story hour for kids with a modestly dressed drag performer reading stories of acceptance and positivity. There is absolutely nothing sexual in nature about the event and it is only for families who are interested in participating. It is not being forced on anyone.

Due to space and attendance constraints, and with the safety of all in mind, we required RSVP. We posted the event on Eventbrite, our Instagram account, and a few Facebook parent groups. This went on for three weeks without issue. We had a very positive response from the local parent community, and were expecting approximately 20 families. The event was going to be fun for the kids, manageable, and safe.

We also discussed having a small, local group of adults attend – families without children and “empty nester” allies to simply be present and supportive, without fanfare. Someone in that conversation (but not part of planning the event) who meant well, edited the event flyer, taking off the RSVP, and instead placed text asking to “invite friends but please do not post on social media.” They then sent out an email calling for 100+ people to attend and “surround the story hour as a buffer/security force.” We absolutely did not want this and were unaware this was happening.

We don’t use Facebook outside of simple business advertisements and event posting. We don’t participate in Facebook groups as we’ve found them to be contentious and unhelpful. We prefer to have interactions with the community in our shop, at our events such as ONETWOHEARTU, and around town. We’re always up for a coffee and respectful chat.

Nearby groups began posting the altered flyer to Facebook. The open call for attendees and the statements about not posting on social media, which did not come from us or Drag Story Hour, gave the impression we were trying to hide something. Local extremists and bigots picked up on this and, believing it to be something nefarious, began spreading hate and misinformation online, in local Facebook groups, and the Peekskill Community Network in particular. Even though the ensuing conversations violated the groups’ guidelines on kindness, respect, and hate speech, virtually all the posts and comments remain.

We know that hosting an event like this is in itself, political, as are many daily choices. We live in a deeply fractured world right now. Even so, it was never our intent to create a political protest or rally with a bunch of kids in the middle of it. Our choices regarding the event were the opposite of that. Without the outside interference, we’re confident that there would have been a safe, positive experience for kids, celebrating diversity and love. There are plenty of other avenues for activism, where kids and families are not being put at risk without their knowledge. We support that activism, and hope to pursue this path, too.

There was a disagreement about how this was all unfolding between us and the local Drag Story Hour chapter. They canceled the event, not to appease the extremists but because of our conflict. The event was canceled a week before it was scheduled to occur. We remain fully supportive of the Drag Story Hour organization and its mission. All that we publicly shared was that the Drag Story Event had been canceled, but we were going on with the ONETWOHEARTU show on Saturday, August 12th.

Apparently, news of the cancellation did not reach everyone, and the rhetoric grew more violent and threatening, Supporters began sending us screenshots so we were aware of the situation. We also began receiving threatening messages at Bucko!. On Saturday, we were relieved to see the day unfolding peacefully, people stopping by the shop to express support and say how much they had been looking forward to the story hour with their families.

We’re hesitant to discuss the bomb threat, as we don’t want whoever did this to feel glorified or emboldened, but understand that people in town saw the street closures, heard there was a bomb threat, and want to know what happened. We received an email around 2pm saying that bombs had been placed at Bucko! and our home address, and naming and threatening to kill members of our family if we continued to host Drag Story Hour. We appreciate the diligence of the Peekskill Police and Westchester County Police who evacuated the areas and used bomb-sniffing dogs to clear them. They were thorough and professional. The investigation is ongoing, as it is a Federal crime to make a threat like this. We believe the main intention was to interrupt the already canceled Drag Story Hour, and understand how the resulting evacuation, confusion, and fear has affected everyone.

We believe this is an important story about how small pieces of misinformation can compound and cause great harm, feeding into dangerous extremism. We hope the community will support us in moving forward as we continue to do our part making Peekskill a truly friendly, welcoming place. We will not let fear and hatred win, and we hope to see you at Bucko!.