Bomb threat halts in-person drag story hour at coffee shop

A Tempe coffee shop that promotes itself as a safe space for the LGBTQ community temporarily shut down a drag storytelling event Sunday morning due to a reported bomb threat.

Brick Road Coffee, off Rural Road and the U.S. 60, has hosted LGBTQ events since its opening last summer, from book clubs to events for trans community members.

Brick Road Coffee promoted its first drag story hour event of the year, which was scheduled to take place Sunday morning, with caution in mind. The business posted to its social media accounts that enhanced security would be in place and asked potential counterprotesters to protest off the property, which included the parking lot.

Sunday morning, staff prepared to welcome guests for the storytelling event at 10 a.m. which they expected to be at or almost full capacity.

“Our story hour which was scheduled for the morning at Brick Road Coffee was targeted over the last week by the Proud Boys and other hate groups,” said Drag Story Hour Arizona. “With a venue full of families with small children, the owners of Brick Road Coffee received a bomb threat.”

Tempe Police Department confirmed that by 10:20 a.m. the business was made aware of a bomb threat directed at the coffee shop that was made over the internet.

Officers were already on scene at Brick Road Coffee when the threat was made, and there were no injuries or bombs located, according to police.

“We felt the only responsible thing to do was to cancel the in-person event and evacuate the building,” said Drag Story Hour Arizona.

Staff decided to move the event to an online platform which was livestreamed format over Facebook, Instagram and YouTube that took place Sunday afternoon.

“A lot of tears were shed,” said an attendee of the in-person event, Amber Lewis. “The idea that someone would hurt a room full of babies and children is horrific.”

To celebrate Black History Month, the storytelling event was led by drag performer Felicia Minor who stayed calm during the livestreamed event, not mentioned the incident and focused on spreading love and community regardless of whether that format was in-person or online.

Within that hour, she read three books and sang songs to the online audience with constant audience feedback and support.

“The event was very wholesome and a place centering love, community and acceptance,” Lewis said.

According to a statement Drag Story Hour Arizona, the threat is nothing new as the organization has had to deal with a “terrorism campaign” against drag performers and the LGBTQ community.

“This terrorism campaign is supported by elected officials such as state legislatures John Kavanagh and Anthony Kern who have spread vile misinformation about us while proposing legislation to make events like ours illegal,” the statement said.

Tempe police were investigating the incident.