We Stand With Mona

Our beautiful friend Mona was recently the target of a vicious disinformation attack.

A video of his performance at a June 11th, 2022, Pride in the Park celebration in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was edited with the intent to falsely accuse him of exposing his genitalia to children.

The claims are entirely false. After expending nearly three weeks of city resources and taxpayer dollars, the Coeur d’Alene City Attorney’s Office has concluded, “The allegations of indecent exposure, or other crimes cannot be supported by the evidence. Therefore, prosecution is declined.” (City of Coeur d'Alene - Public Information Release-Coeur d'Alene PRIDE in the Park 2022 (cdaid.org)).

Unfortunately, the accusations and the obviously doctored video have been spread worldwide, receiving 1.2 million views on TikTok alone. It also infected many other social media and news outlets such as Facebook, Tumblr, Infowars, Twitter, Red Liberal, Idaho Tribune, Lifesite, KXLY, YouTube, the Mimi Standard, and even BBC News.

Our small town in North Idaho has a racist history. Our Sixth Annual Pride in the Park was targeted by the white nationalist Patriot Front, who were stopped by law enforcement blocks from where they conspired to riot and disrupt the largest showing for Pride that Coeur d’Alene has ever seen. We strongly believe that Mona was targeted for this disinformation campaign due to his cross-sectional minority status as a gay, black man.

In the weeks it took for city officials to debunk the false allegations, this disinformation campaign spread like wildfire, damaging Mona significantly. He has suffered from lost wages and has incurred moving expenses due to fear for his safety, as perpetrators of the false accusation continue to call for his arrest. In addition, he is looking at immense legal fees to bring justice to his attackers in civil court. And honey also deserves a new dress and pair of shoes because the show must go on!

Mona didn’t ask for any of this but responded with the class, grace, and inspiration of a true Drag Queen – “Hate gives you wrinkles, darling!” He has not asked for anything, but we are committed to rallying the community around him. We recognize that financial support will be necessary for the long road to justice that has been set before him. Please consider giving in any amount you can so that the people who have defamed and slandered this incredible human can be held accountable.