Anti-LGBTQ+ activist says God cut power to 40,000 people because of a drag show
North Carolina’s Sunrise theatre was plunged into darkness. (Facebook/ Emily Grace)
God has cut power for almost 40,000 people in North Carolina because of a drag show, an anti-LGBTQ+ activist has claimed.
On Saturday night (3 December), around 37,998 customers were left without electricity in North Carolina’s Moore County, according to CNN.
But it wasn’t just any power outage, as Moore County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a Facebook post: “As utility companies began responding to the different substations, evidence was discovered that indicated that intentional vandalism had occurred at multiple sites.”
“Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields reports that the mass power outage across the county is being investigated as a criminal occurrence,” the sheriff’s office added.
On the evening of the power cut, North Carolina anti-LGBTQ+ activist Emily Grace Rainey shared a Facebook post which simply read: “The power is out in Moore County and I know why.”
Shortly afterwards, she shared a photo of Moore County’s Sunrise theatre, which was set to host a drag show that evening, shrouded in darkness. She added the caption: “God will not be mocked.”
Rainey had been vocal on social media about her opposition to the drag performance, describing it as “depraved”, and an example of “grooming”.
On Sunday (4 December), Rainey reported that she had been visited by police officers in relation to the power outage.
“I welcomed them to my home,” she wrote on Facebook.
“Sorry they wasted their time. I told them that God works in mysterious ways and is responsible for the outage. I used the opportunity to tell them about the immoral drag show and the blasphemies screamed by its supporters.
“God is chastising Moore County. I thanked them for coming and wished them a good night.”
It is unclear whether the police investigation into the power cut is thought to be related to the drag performance.
Chief Mike Cameron of the Southern Pines Fire and Rescue Department told The Pilot that the substations had been damaged with guns, and a reporter for the local paper said the areas were being searched for bullet casings.
The sheriff’s office said it will give more information on the ongoing investigation at a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
