Aimenn D. Penny, identified by the federal Justice Department as a 20-year-old from Ohio, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he threw incendiary devices known as Molotov cocktails at a church in his state in outrage over their planned hosting of drag events. Drag, in this context, refers to “entertainment in which performers caricature or challenge gender stereotypes,” as summarized by the Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
Drag shows have become a frequent target of right-wing political figures in recent years, with conservative politicians, especially at the state level, also targeting the related area of health care for transgender youth and adults. Some Republicans in office have also taken up and run with the cause of enforcing separation in sports leagues aligned with participants’ birth sex, though even individuals identified thusly as either female or male can have a wide range in the actual composition of their bodies and physical capabilities. (Ostensible fairness is a big talking point with these Republicans.)
Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis even signed another bathroom bill, meaning legislation that restricts the restrooms that transgender individuals can use in certain environments. DeSantis’ administration and Republican allies in Florida’s legislature also pushed sharp restrictions on even discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida’s public schools, and the list goes on.
Penny, meanwhile, pleaded guilty late last year to an offense specifically covering his targeting of a church in an act of attempted arson and an additional offense of utilizing fire and explosives to commit a felony. The original incident took place in March of last year. The locale where the targeted church is situated is about 50 miles away from the northern Ohio jurisdiction where authorities identify Penny as hailing from. The planned drag events at the church, the Community Church of Chesterland, were set for the weekend following the attack. Penny admitted to intentions of obstructing the free expression of the congregation in perpetrating the violent acts.
