LOADINGERROR LOADING
An Idaho jury awarded a drag performer more than $1.1 million in damages on Friday after a far-right blogger defamed him and spread false claims that he exposed himself to children during a pride event.
Eric Posey, who performs under the drag name Mona Liza Million, sued blogger Summer Bushnell in 2022 after she posted a doctored video that showed Posey appearing in drag at the event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The video included supposed footage of Posey dancing in drag with a blurred area around his waist.
Advertisem*nt
“Why did no one arrest the man in a dress who flashed his genitalia to minors and people in the crowd?” Bushnell said in an earlier post. “No one said anything about it and there’s video. I’m going to put up a blurred video to prove it.”
The blurred footage sparked national outcry and was ultimately seen by thousands of people. In truth, the unedited video showed Posey performing in an outfit with a boa around his waist, with no inappropriate behavior. But Bushnell’s repeated posts about the performance sparked a police investigation and prompted city prosecutors to publicly state that Posey had not exposed himself to the crowd.
Posey told the jury during the trial that the episode became a flashpoint in the conservative war against LGBTQ+ Americans and drag performers, saying he received death threats and harassment as a result of Bushnell’s posts. The pride event at the center of the case became a lightning rod in that fight after 31 members of a white supremacist group were arrested nearby and later charged with conspiracy to riot at the event.
Advertisem*nt
“Imagine being in a dark hole where you have nobody and you felt the whole world turn their back on you,” Posey said in court on Thursday, per the Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls Press. “But somehow, you were surrounded by warriors, true people of Idaho — not transplants, true people of this soil. I am fortunate to say I have people like that around me, people that lifted me up.”
The jury found Bushnell liable for damages, awarding Posey $926,000 in compensatory damages for defamation and $250,000 in punitive damages, as his attorneys had shown that Bushnell knew her statements were false but shared them anyway with reckless disregard for the truth.
Jurors had asked the judge if they could order Bushnell to take down her posts, but the judge said this was not possible. The videos were still on Bushnell’s page as of Friday, according to the Coeur d’Alene Press.
“I am so grateful that the jury was attentive, and that they rejected the lies that put me in a dark place for nearly two years,” Posey said after the verdict, according to The New York Times.
The North Idaho Pride Alliance, which put on the initial pride event that Bushnell’s post claimed to depict, championed the jury’s findings. The group said it was deeply appreciative of the “jury’s dedication and careful consideration of facts presented.”
Advertisem*nt
“In light of recent events, our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Idaho is stronger than ever,” the group said in a statement. “We will persist in our efforts to provide resources, education, and advocacy, fostering a culture of acceptance and understanding.”
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circ*mstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
