On Jan 1, 2023, a New Year’s Day drag show in Lakeland, FL went down unopposed. In early December Natsoc Florida (a hard Nazi group) had protested another show at the same venue while potential defenders were busy in Ft Lauderdale counterprotesting a Moms4Liberty/Proud Boys/”Gays against Groomers” anti-trans rally. This time defenders were ready, as they were on Dec 15 at another venue in Lakeland.

Both on Dec 15 2022 and on New Year’s Day Jan 2023, the fascists and their Christian Nationalist friends were nowhere to be found. A Proud Boy was seen somewhere in Tampa, a plumber’s truck with Jesus stuff written on it was parked at the back of a driveway across the street, and a cop’s laptop inside his car had the Christian fish sticker on it, but that was IT.

No protesters, no Proud Boys pretending to be bumblebees in their black and yellow drag, nothing.