On June 16, 2026, without any coherent basis, reason, explanation, or process, Meta Platforms permanently disabled the Facebook and Instagram accounts of Durham-based drag performer/artist and advocate, Naomi Dix, and her lawful business entity, Club Era, a popular queer nightclub located in Durham County.
Based on a robot’s misunderstanding of lawful, pro-social, and sex positive content, Meta has wrongfully accused Ms. Dix and Club Era of “sex trafficking” or “drug paraphernalia. These allegations are false, defamatory, and outrageous.
This wrongful action has adversely impacted Club Era’s business and Ms. Dix’s ability to operate as a drag performer and influencer. It has inflicted serious reputational harm, and it has deprived Ms. Dix of accessing over 12+ years of her intellectual property, including art, photos, video content, and further media collaborations and paid bookings. It has adversely affected the reputation and business of a safe haven for queer people in the Triangle.
To address this wrongful action, Dix and Club Era filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc., in Durham Superior Court on June 19, 2026. They are represented by Attorney Elizabeth Simpson of EMANCIPATE NC. The lawsuit may be viewed here:
Press Conference:
Monday, June 29, 2026 at 6 pm
Club ERA
305 South Dillard Street
Durham, NC 27701
Naomi Dix said:
“Club Era’s account was disabled due to a queer event flyer being mistakenly flagged as “solicitation” and “exploitation” by Meta’s automated system. My personal accounts that I use in my role as a drag performer, influencer, and community advocate were also disabled even though they are separate businesses and identities and have different content.
I clicked the button to submit an appeal and very quickly got an email in response that the appeal was rejected and the Club Era account is permanently disabled. I never received a similar email for my personal accounts. I read through the community guidelines and am totally confused by why anything I posted could be interpreted as exploitation or solicitation, and the flyer in question was clearly promoting an 18+ nightlife using tongue-in-cheek humor.
I researched other options, including an appeal to Meta’s Oversight Board, which was established for this very reason. However, according to the information I found, such an appeal requires a reference number, which can only be obtained after a second review and rejection. I have found no options for submitting a request for further review or a reference number to appeal to the Oversight Board.
I’m especially distressed about this situation because it affects not only my business but my community and access to online safe space and trans, gay, and queer online support and events, as well as outreach based on accessibility because of the number of followers Club Era has obtained through community relationships. My ability to operate as an individual drag performer and influencer and the 12+ years of work I have spent building a reputation and following, as well as the accumulated intellectual property resulting from my artistry (photos, videos, history, etc.), is also at stake. It’s also personally distressing as a member of marginalized communities to feel as though my identity and life’s work are being erased without access to any due process or human review, including the process they outline in their documentation.
Elizabeth Simpson, attorney and strategic director at Emancipate NC, said:
Meta has built an enormous corporate overlord of our society. For performers, artists, activists, and small businesses to hope to communicate with a broad audience, they are forced to use Meta’s platforms. Meta’s reckless disregard for people’s contractual and moral rights is abhorrent. They didn’t even provide a way to speak with a human being before shutting down Club Era’s page and depriving access to all of Naomi’s years of art and videos.
Examples of the censored content appear below:
