Extremist Sentenced to 18 Years for Attack on Ohio Church Planning Drag Events

By Kanishka Singh

A far-right extremist from Ohio has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for firebombing a church that was scheduled to host two drag events, according to court documents released on Tuesday.

Aimenn Penny, 20, was associated with White Lives Matter, Ohio, a group known for its racist, pro-Nazi, and homophobic ideologies, as stated by the U.S. Justice Department. He was apprehended in March after he launched Molotov cocktails at the Community Church of Chesterland in Chesterland, Ohio.

In October, Penny entered a guilty plea to charges of church arson as a hate crime and for using fire and explosives to commit a felony. U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan sentenced him to 216 months, equivalent to 18 years, in a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Federal prosecutors highlighted the "long and sordid history" of church burnings in the United States, emphasizing that such acts symbolize hate as powerfully as burning a cross on a lawn or displaying a noose.

Drag shows, often featuring men in feminine attire, makeup, and hairstyling, have gained mainstream acceptance in recent years in the U.S. However, Ohio Republican lawmakers oppose them, arguing they conflict with traditional values and labeling them as explicit and obscene.

In many states, Republican officials have spearheaded initiatives aimed at restricting drag performances. Performers and civil rights advocates have condemned these proposed regulations, contending they are unconstitutional and redundant under existing obscenity laws, and warn that they could lead to increased harassment and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals.