Man Admits He Tried to Burn Down Church Over Drag Shows

An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Monday, admitting he tried to burn down a church over planned drag show events the church was hosting.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice press release, Aimenn D. Penny of Alliance, Ohio, pleaded guilty on Monday to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and to using fire and explosives to commit a felony in an attempt to burn down a church due to the church's support for the LGBTQI+ community.

This comes as states across the country have introduced legislation aimed at regulating drag shows. According to a April 2023 YouGov Poll, 17 percent of Americans support banning drug shows entirely, though 50 percent—"including nearly half of people who have been to a drag show—favor restricting attendance to adults (18 and older)" while a quarter of Americans believe people of all ages should be allowed to attend drag shows.

On March 25, 20-year-old Penny made Molotov cocktails and drove to the Community Church of Chesterland (CCC), in Chesterland, Ohio. He then threw two Molotov cocktails at the church, hoping to burn the church down as he was angered by the church's plan to host two drag events the following weekend. Penny was arrested and charged in April.

Through Penny's guilty plea, he admitted to using force through fire and explosives, intending to obstruct CCC congregants in their enjoyment and expression of their religious beliefs, according to court documents.

The CCC, a small faith community of the United Church of Christ who lives their faith by welcoming and serving all those in need, hosted the sold out Drag Brunch and Story Hour event on April 1 where, according to the church's Instagram 120 tickets were sold.

Penny previously confessed he attempted to burn down the church using Molotov cocktails, "to protect the children and stop the drag show event," according to the criminal complaint.

Shortly after Penny's attempt, the church posted pictures of the damage left behind on Instagram and said "Our sign was destroyed, outdoor light fixtures broken, and Molotov cocktails thrown at the church which houses a pre-school. So they're obviously 'thinking of the children.'"

Newsweek has reached out to the Community Church of Chesterland via email for further comment.

In response to the plea, U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio said in a press release that "the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio will aggressively prosecute criminals who threaten the right to express themselves freely.

"By pleading guilty, Aimenn Penny has admitted that he attempted to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland because he disagreed with a planned LGBTQI+ event. Violence is never appropriate to settle differences in beliefs. All members of our community are entitled to peacefully assemble, worship, and express themselves freely, without fear of violence or intimidation," Lutzko said.

In addition, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division also condemned the actions of Penny.

"Attempting to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland for their support of the LGBTQI+ community is reprehensible. There is no room in this country for such bias-motivated violence and terror, and the Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans in their free exercise of religious beliefs by vigorously prosecuting those who target houses of worship. Our churches should be safe havens for all people, not sites subjected to violence motivated by hate and vitriol," Clarke said.

However, this comes after several drag events across the country face similar threats as the Proud Boys planned to disrupt a drag storytime event in Columbus, Ohio, in 2022.

The Proud Boys have seized a growing role in anti-LGBTQ mobilization over the past two years, according to nationwide data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The far-right extremist group has appeared at a host of LGBTQ events across various states, threatening violence outside a drag brunch in Texas, protesting a Pride event at a public library in North Carolina and disrupting a drag show in California.

Sentencing in the case against Penny has been scheduled for January 29, 2024.