Popular drag queens "Jiggly Caliente," "Brigitte Bandit," and "Joey Jay" are set to descend on Capitol Hill next week for "Drag Lobby Day."
Two of the performers, "Jiggly Caliente" and "Joey Jay," gained fame and notoriety by appearing on Ru Paul's Drag Race. "Brigitte Bandit" is a Texas-based activist who worked as a children's swim instructor and is now involved in Drag Queen Story Hour, often dressing up as Dolly Parton.
The day is being set up by the far-left advocacy group MoveOn.org.
“MAGA Republicans have been viciously assaulting the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ+ community for far too long,” Nakia Stephens, the campaigns director, told The Hill in a statement. “Our bodies and lives are on the line, and we will not be silenced.”
The report explains, "Lobbying efforts will focus largely on the Equality Act, which would extend federal nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ people by making sexual orientation and gender identity protected classes, and the Transgender Bill of Rights, a landmark resolution that would strengthen civil rights protections for trans and nonbinary Americans. House Democrats reintroduced both measures last year, though progress on either bill has stalled since then."
The drag performers will meet with members of Congress on Tuesday, including “lawmakers of vulnerable, battleground Republican districts — especially those with a high population of LGBTQ+ residents,” Britt Jacovich, MoveOn’s press secretary, told the outlet.
Republicans have been working to keep children out of drag shows, which often contain highly sexually charged material, while Democrats have been promoting efforts, including "Drag Queen Story Hour," to promote the lifestyle to minors.
In May, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attended a gay bar in Washington, DC, with eight drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
Jean-Pierre and the drag queens were photographed at the Little Gay Pub in Logan Circle. According to a report from LGBTQ Nation, they discussed "the role drag activism plays in a political climate that opposes gender nonconformity."
Later in the day, the drag queens attended a screening of the show's season premiere at the Motion Picture Association near the White House. Gay Democrat Rep. Robert Garcia attended the screening.
