Right-wing death threats force drag queen to sell childhood home

Utah drag queen and transgender rights activist Tara Lipsyncki says she was forced to sell her childhood home following far-right activists doxxing and harassing her, she said in an interview with The Advocate.

Lipsyncki is a long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She founded the Provo bookstore and queer resource center Mosaics, hosted events for the queer community, and has worked tirelessly to serve her community.

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The venue’s co-owner called police after one of the Proud Boys allegedly yelled at an 8-year-old attendee and called other parents “groomers.”

However, with that position in her community comes a target from the far-right who seek to harass and belittle her. It started when Chaya Raichik, also known as LibsOfTikTok, featured her as a “Groomer of the Day” in June of 2022. This led to escalating threats and targets placed on Lipsyncki‘a back. An event she produced last year had armed Proud Boys harass attendees and young children, and bomb threats were sent to an event she was going to perform at.

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This became especially severe when Gays Against Groomers doxxed her in December. All of her private information, including her address, was exposed to the public. She worried aa she received unknown packages, troubling drive-bys, and threatening messages at her childhood home.

Local authorities did nothing to help her. In court documents given to The Advocate, she repeatedly plead to local authorities for help, but none ever came. Even the District Attorney acknowledged the scale of the threats without taking meaningful action.

“As of today, the DA’s Office has not received a screening packet regarding these allegations from a law enforcement agency for us to review. If and when we do, at that time, we can fulfill our statutory prosecution functions and address the matter,” said Jeffrey William Hall, chief deputy district attorney.

In April, Mosaics was the target of a bomb threat, and this terrified her. Because of this, she had to sell her childhood home, “the only thing that I got when my mother passed.” A huge strain was put on her family. She said, “It’s ruined it, to be completely frank.” Her husband was hospitalized from stress, she lost 50 pounds, and her mental health troubles have grown more intense.

Lipsynck is steadfast in her desire to stay in the area and continue her advocacy. She says that Utah is her home, and she has no intention of leaving. She is now calling for people to help ease the financial strain these threats have caused her. She asks for donations to be sent to the United Drag Alliance, specifically calling for wealthy queer people to help. 

“People will pay $250 to go and see a stupid gala but won’t give $50 to a local nonprofit that’s actually on the ground doing the work,” she says.

“If this had happened to a nightclub or a popular social media influencer, there would have been fundraisers and national attention.”

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