Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Arson on Church over Planned Drag Shows

Aimenn D. Penny, a member of White Lives Matter, faces significant prison time after admitting to using Molotov cocktails in an attempt to bomb an Ohio church supporting the LGBTQI+ community and scheduling drag events; a violent act part of a wider surge of threats against drag events nationwide.

• Aimenn D. Penny, a 20-year-old member of White Lives Matter, has pleaded guilty to attempting to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland in Ohio due to its support for the LGBTQI+ community and its plans to host two drag events.
• On March 25, Penny used Molotov cocktails to target the church, causing significant property damage. His actions were intended to obstruct the congregation's free expression of religious beliefs.
• Despite the attack, the Church successfully held its sold out Drag Brunch and Story Hour event on April 1, selling 120 tickets as per their Instagram post.
• Shortly after the attack, the church openly criticized Penny's actions on their Instagram page, rebutting his assertion that his actions were 'thinking of the children' and showing images of the damage.
• Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has firmly condemned Penny's actions, pledging that the Justice Department will vigorously protect the free exercise of religious beliefs by all Americans.
• This act forms part of a wider surge in threats toward drag events and the LGBTQI+ community nationwide, particularly from far-right extremist groups like Proud Boys and White Lives Matter. Penny is due to be sentenced on January 29, 2024.

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