Six of the nation’s biggest drag queens want you to “Sissy That Walk” to the polls.Â
RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Alaska, BenDeLaCreme, Jinkx Monsoon, MonĂ©t X Change, Peppermint, and Willam recently launched Drag PAC: the United States’ first political action committee created by drag queens to mobilize Gen Z votes for LGBTQ+ protections this November.Â
In Drag PAC’s introductory video, Monsoon, a two-time Drag Race winner, explained her reasoning for the committee’s formation.
“Well, I think everyone is a little disheartened by a lot of our elected leadership,” she said. “And frankly, our community is being assaulted, and it’s escalating to violence.”
Drag PAC’s tagline, “Diversity Drives Democracy,” encourages marginalized communities to claim a voice in the election through voting. With the political division this election cycle has witnessed, the founding queens understand the importance of their activism, as some members of the LGBTQ+ community cannot safely express their identities.Â
“We represent our community,” two-time Drag Race contestant and activist BenDeLaCreme said. “We’re visible queer people out in the world in the crosshairs,”
Queer rights have been a hot topic between the two presidential candidates. Vice President Kamala Harris is a long-time supporter of LGBTQ+ liberties, and as district attorney in California, she has officiated the marriages of several gay couples. This support continues into the present day with her endorsement of the Equality Act, which, according to ABC News, would “expand federal civil rights law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in areas such as public facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system.”
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has a history of opposition towards queer people; the Human Rights Campaign cites Trump as the “Leader of most anti-LGBTQ+ administration in American history,” citing bans on transgender military service, endorsements of organizations like the Heritage Foundation, and harmful uses of language to describe the community.Â
Over the last few years, hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ pieces of legislation have been introduced across the country, spanning from the prevention of classroom conversations regarding sexual orientation to the banning of drag performances. This year alone, the ACLU has tracked 530 anti-LGBTQ+ bills and the Trans Legislation Tracker has tracked 661 anti-trans bills, which, according to the latter, “makes this the fifth consecutive record-breaking year for total number of anti-trans bills considered in the U.S”.
Due to the polarized political climate, Drag PAC prioritizes its messaging to members of Gen Z, who hold the potential to influence election results greatly.
An Instagram post from Drag PAC stated, “There are more than 41 million members of Gen Z who will be eligible to vote in November. As the fastest growing, most racially diverse, progressive, and queer voting block in the country, our nation’s youngest voters have the power to fight back against the wave of anti-trans and anti-drag policies being pushed across the country”.
To foster support for the committee and the election, Drag PAC has hosted drag shows, watch parties for debates, and interviews with LGBTQ+ politicians. Its website and social media provide information on election preparation and voter registration, including state regulations. By planning these events and encouraging individual political involvement, the founding queens emphasize the ease of shaping democracy.Â
“If you can support your local and favorite drag queens by commenting on their social media, then you can go to the polls and vote,” said Monét X Change, winner of Season 4 of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars. “Every single vote counts, y’all, and if you’re not casting yours, then you’re just letting someone else snatch the crown.”
Your vote not only represents your personal opinions but can influence the lives of your loved ones, coworkers, teachers, students, strangers, residents of your state, and the entire country. As Drag PAC states, by letting your voice be heard, you expand the diversity that molds democracy.