Former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants have created the first Political Action Committee by drag queens.
The Drag PAC is founded by drag queens Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, Peppermint, and Monét X Change.
The organization's website states, "Influencing election outcomes is the most impactful thing the LGBTQ+ community can do to slow the progress of attack legislation and protect our community's rights. In 2023, the ACLU tracked 510 pieces of legislation across the country targeting LGBTQ+ rights. These legislative efforts are accelerating and we need to vote in 2024 to protect the community."
The PAC's formation was announced in a YouTube video released on Wednesday.
“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. It’s our job to keep things moving in the right direction,” said BenDeLaCreme in a press release.
“A lot of this political rhetoric does have real-life effects and consequences on people of multiple marginalized identities,” added Peppermint.
According to Open Secrets, the PAC had raised $15,000 at the time of its announcement.
Earlier this week, drag performers met with lawmakers on the hill to lobby for the Equality Act, which would make gender identity a protected class.
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. Category Is: Press Week Realness! 💋
The queens of #AllStars9 kiki'd with Press Sec. @K_JeanPierre at The Little Gay Pub in D.C. 💗 (📸 @GettyImages) pic.twitter.com/Wo3wejIrgF
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) May 7, 2024
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.
