Editor's Notice: This text accommodates sexually express imagery.
A former “RuPaul's Drag Race” contestant often known as “Shangela” who attended an LGBT satisfaction occasion at Vice President Kamala Harris' residence in 2022 has been accused of sexually assaulting 5 individuals between the ages of 18 and 23.
The allegations got here to gentle via a 16-month investigation that started on the now-defunct BuzzFeed Information and continued at Rolling Stone, which printed the allegations final week.
The victims declare {that a} 43-year-old drag artist, whose actual title is Darius Jeremy Pierce, sexually assaulted them whereas they had been drunk, with the alleged assaults occurring between 2012 and 2018. Pierce claims he by no means had non-consensual intercourse with them. anybody.
Pierce's accusers say they knew of his superstar standing as a drag queen and actor, and three of the alleged victims had been aspiring drag queens themselves.
The alleged assaults came about in Louisiana, Texas, California and the UK. 5 individuals described staying up late ingesting, with one supply telling Rolling Stone that they obtained so drunk they vomited within the mattress the place the alleged assault came about.
Pierce was charged with assault in Could after HBO's “We're Right here” manufacturing assistant, Daniel McGarrigle, filed a civil go well with towards the star.
McGarrigle claimed within the go well with that he vomited after consuming drinks given to him by Pierce. He claimed he later wakened and Pierce attacked him together with his genitalia and Pierce mentioned, “I do know you need it and also you're going to take it.”
The case was dismissed in spite of everything events reached an settlement, the portal mentioned. Since then, 5 extra alleged victims have come ahead. The 5 accusers both self-identify as “queer” or have participated in drag reveals, which made them hesitant to talk out, in keeping with Rolling Stone.
Due to current efforts in some states to limit drag reveals deemed inappropriate for youngsters or to outlaw so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors, prosecutors have been hesitant to talk out.
One of many sources who spoke to Rolling Stone is the 27-year-old Helmer, who advised the paper that he was simply 20 years previous on the time of the alleged assault. The younger grownup claimed he met Pierce in 2017 whereas working at a bar in Los Angeles and that the older man messaged him on Instagram asking him out for a drink.
Helmer later advised police that Pierce purchased him a Mojito, however he couldn’t keep in mind what occurred subsequent. In line with the grievance filed with police, Helmer recalled “waking up utterly bare in mattress and believing he was at Pierce's residence.”
“[Helmer] requested Pierce what occurred final evening and why he was bare,” the grievance cited in Rolling Stone experiences mentioned. “Pierce replied, 'We had intercourse and there was one other man you introduced.' [Helmer] he requested who the opposite one was, and Pierce mentioned he didn't know, 'however you had been actually into it'.”
Helmer finally advised some associates concerning the alleged assault, who recalled listening to the allegations in 2017, in keeping with Rolling Stone. Pierce's legal professional, Andrew Brettler, referred to as Helmer's allegations “absurd” in a authorized letter despatched to the outlet.
The legal professional mentioned Pierce and Helmer “returned to Mr. Pierce's residence the place they’d consensual intercourse with a 3rd man they met on the bar.” Brettler additionally claimed that Helmer remained in touch with Pierce for months after the assembly and allegedly by no means “as soon as talked about that Mr. Pierce mistreated him, a lot much less sexually assaulted him.”
Brettler mentioned the allegations towards his consumer are “false and unsupported by any proof or dependable witness testimony” and claims there have been “important issues with the alleged statements of the accused.” He added that his consumer “emphatically denies ever partaking in non-consensual intercourse”.
In 2022, Pierce spoke on the U.S. Naval Observatory, which serves because the vice chairman's official residence. Throughout his speech, Pierce condemned his residence state of Texas, accusing it of making an attempt to “ban drag queens”.
“I'm a proud drag queen!” Pierce mentioned, inflicting some members of the group to cheer.
Following controversy over numerous reveals in Texas that uncovered minors to sexually inappropriate content material, the state handed Senate Invoice 12 in 2023. The laws, which was set to take impact on September 1, would have prohibited venues from permitting people underneath the age of 18 to attend. sexually oriented' occasions and performances.
U.S. District Decide David Hittner, a Reagan appointee, dominated in September that Texas couldn’t implement the legislation as a result of it “impermissibly violates the First Modification and chills free speech.”
A number of drag reveals throughout the state of Texas have raised considerations about minors witnessing sexually express content material.
In December 2022, Texas Household Undertaking shared footage of a “Christmas Drag Present” at San Antonio's Home of Eternas, which was marketed as an all-ages occasion. The video reveals a person wearing drag stroking a younger woman's hair, and at one other level within the video, the woman is seen giving cash to the performers.
One other a part of the video reveals the little woman beginning to cry after one of many performers requested if she was having fun with the present, and he or she shook her head. The venue later canceled its remaining drag reveals for a yr after the video surfaced, claiming the footage led to them being bullied.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Submit. You may contact her at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Observe her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman