Downers Grove library cancels drag queen bingo following threats

The Downers Grove Public Library has canceled its upcoming drag queen bingo event because of threats made against the library.

The threats are under investigation by Downers Grove police, according to a statement released Monday by library officials.

“Unfortunately, in this case, it is not possible to provide a safe place for everyone due to the threats made,” according to the statement. “To all of the teens who registered for our event and community members in support of the event, we are sorry drag queen bingo cannot happen at this time.”

Bingo games and a short lip-sync performance were planned as part of the event, which the library said was to be geared toward seventh through 12th graders.

Tyler Reviglio, who goes by the stage name Aurora Divine, was going to host the event, which was set for Oct. 11. The date of the game night coincided with National Coming Out Day.

“Hate did not win today. We stand by the event and Aurora Divine. We tried our best to make drag queen bingo happen. However, due to the severity of the threats made against the library, we have been forced to cancel the event. It is our responsibility to keep you safe. We are disappointed and saddened by some of the vitriolic feedback that we received for what was meant to be an evening of fun and celebration of self-identity and self-expression,” according to the statement.

Opponents said the event was not appropriate for teens and should not be held at the library, which is supported by taxpayer dollars. Some said the event was designed to groom children to adopt an LGBTQ lifestyle.

Downers Grove police last week increased patrols around the library after threats against the facility and staff, officials said.

One Facebook post urged people to “bring weapons” to the library, according to police reports.

As of the morning of Sept. 2, library staff had received about 450 emails and phone calls about the program. The feedback was nearly evenly split, officials said, with supporters slightly outnumbering opponents.

Some comments have been threatening and aggressive, officials said, resulting in calls to the police.

The Facebook comment about weapons was reported to police. It had been written by an Idaho man who formerly lived in northwest Illinois, according to documents acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request.

To assist Downers Grove police, an officer in Idaho interviewed the man, who apologized and said he doesn’t intend to return to Illinois or bring weapons to the event, reports said. He wasn’t charged.

The other police report stemmed from a voicemail message left for a library employee Aug. 30. The caller, an unidentified man, expressed displeasure over the drag event in such a way that it was classified as telephone harassment, reports indicated.

“No member of our community should feel unsafe in their homes, places of work or elsewhere in the village of Downers Grove,” officials said in a collective statement released Sept. 2. “Promoting civil discourse among the diverse members of our community is important and creating an environment of fear dampens all of our ability to hear those perspectives.”

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove, said he was “incredibly disheartened to hear that the Downers Grove Public Library is canceling their upcoming event – one meant to celebrate self-identity and self-expression – because Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois created an unsafe environment in our community. They should be ashamed of themselves. They have used their platform to promote hatred, homophobia and bigotry.”

Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park, is Casten’s opponent in the November election.

“Let’s be clear. This event was canceled because after my Republican opponent and his far-right allies at Awake Illinois publicly issued a call-to-action to their supporters, the library received severe threats that endangered our community,” Casten said.

Daily Herald Media Group contributed to this report.