Doughnut shop that hosted drag event vandalized for second time, Oklahoma video shows

A Molotov cocktail was thrown inside the broken window of an Oklahoma doughnut shop, just days before it was set to host its second event put on by drag queens.

The Oct. 31 vandalism of The Donut Hole in Tulsa is the second time the store has been met with a suspected hate crime in a matter of weeks.

Video shows someone smash a window of the business, then light a Molotov cocktail and throw it into the shop at around 2 a..m.

The culprit, who was wearing a red hat and a mask, ran away after throwing the explosive.

KOTV reported the person also put “a letter with anti-LGBTQ rhetoric on the door of a neighboring business.” The person responsible will face charges of arson and endangering human lives, the TV station reported, citing city fire officials.

Shop owners said the damage was minimal, but it’s the second time in two weeks that the store has been vandalized. On Oct. 15, windows were shattered in what the store called “malicious acts.”

The first attack coincided with an art installation held at the shop by The Queens Dirty Dozen, which is run by drag queens. More than 500 people attended the event, according to The Donut Hole.

The idea behind the art event was inspired by Daniel Gulick, who helped transform The Donut Hole into The Queens Dirty Dozens. Drag queens passed out doughnut sculptures with bright coloring or phrases written on them.

The following day, owners of The Donut Hole found their business broken into, with a window shattered, KTUL reported.

The Queens Dirty Dozen had plans for a second event at the shop, but it was canceled following the second act of vandalism. There were going to be 300 free donuts passed out at the event as a thank you for the support they received after the first incident.

“My art installation was the catalyst for these horrible acts,” said Daniel Gulick, who hosted the event. “I know I’m not responsible, but I can’t help but take some of the blame for these things. It’s a terrible feeling.”

Tulsa firefighters have a person of interest from the latest arson case, according to Tulsa World. It’s unclear if the first incident and second were carried out by the same person.

Reaction from Tulsa community

The Brookside Business Association, which oversees the Brookside district within Tulsa, said it was “heartbroken” by the vandalism.

“No matter in what ways we may disagree with others, violence will never be the right response,” the association said. “We, as a business association representing Brookside, unconditionally and unequivocally, condemn these destructive actions and behaviors.”

The Queens Dirty Dozen started a GoFundMe for The Donut Hole to repair the initial vandalism. The window was quickly paid off, but the fundraiser stayed online so the store could benefit a greater purpose.

“All extra proceeds will be given to the Tulsa Equality Center to help spread acceptance, tolerance and love,” The Donut Hole said. “These malicious acts have resulted in thousands of dollars going towards the cause this entire event was meant to support. Love wins.”

Attacks against drag community

As drag has become more mainstream, so too have acts of violence and aggression against the community.

“There is a bigger backlash against drag queens, there is a bigger backlash against the LGBTQ+ community and people of color, no matter what group you are in,” Bella Naughty, a drag queen based out of the Washington, D.C. area, told the Washington Post.. “We are in it not just for drag, but for the greater picture.”

In one recent incident, dozens of people — some brandishing guns — protested outside a Drag Queen Storytime event in Eugene, Oregon, in October, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Rocks and smoke bombs were thrown during the protests.

The Oregon protests and vandalism at The Donut Hole in Tulsa are among the latest examples of hostility against the drag community, which also include death threats against an Alabama animal rescue that held a drag queen story time, McClatchy News reported.

Drag queens have also become a frequent target of conservative politicians, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. He has called for the prosecution of drag queens performing in front of children, calling their behavior “grotesque (and) disturbing.”

“They’re afraid of the stigma of what a drag queen is, which in (their minds) is over-sexualization and sexual puns,” New York-based drag queen Diamante Habibi told The Guardian. “But we know how to work with audiences. What’s for the 21 and plus is for 21 and plus, what’s for children is for children.”

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