Former contestants of RuPaul’s Drag Race have started Drag PAC, a political action committee that seeks to “protect LGBTQ+ rights through democratic action in 2024.”
The PAC was announced on Wednesday in a YouTube video. The founding members are Alaska, Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, Peppermint, and Monét X Change. The performers said they were compelled to form the PAC because of the many anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been introduced in the past years, including legislation aimed at restricting drag shows.
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“I think everyone is a little disheartened with a lot of our elected leadership, and frankly, our community is being assaulted, and it’s escalating to violence,” Jinkx Monsoon, said in the video.
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Willam Belli, who appeared on the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, said that lawmakers have introduced anti-drag and anti-trans legislation without knowing anything about drag queens. Alaska commented, “Our diversity is what drives democracy.”
“We as queer people have to recognize that we are part of a community, and the reason that we have the ease of life that we have now is because so many people worked for decades to make that happen,” said BenDeLaCreme, a two-time Drag Race contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. “It’s our job to keep things moving in the right direction.”
Peppermint added, “A lot of this political rhetoric does have real-life effects and consequences on people of multiple marginalized identities. How you vote matters and it literally defines the future of not just the country but your cities, your communities, and your people.”
The PAC’s introductory video states that the group’s goal is to register more voters and to encourage some of the 80 registered voters who did not participate in 2020 to vote in the 2024 election.
Thus far, six Republican-led states have passed legislation restricting drag performances, but judges have blocked most as violations of free speech. Additionally, more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year, according to the ACLU. Many of these bills target trans youth, especially restricting gender-affirming care.
Stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race recently went to the House of Representatives to lobby lawmakers about increasing protection for LGBTQ+ rights and protections. Jiggly Caliente, Brigitte Bandit, and Joey Jay, who talked with lawmakers, said it was largely productive, The Hill reported.
“I feel like I was able to shed some light on areas that maybe [House Republicans] didn’t quite think of, and it was fun to see their gears turn a little bit,” Joey Jay said. “I even got some questions from them. They were taking some notes, and they were really honest.”
“We’re in the middle of something historic,” said Monet X Change. “This is the most important election cycle for queer people’s rights and freedoms in our lifetime.”
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