A Viral Photo Seems to Depict J.D. Vance in Drag

Matt Bernstein shared two photos that seem to depict staunch anti-LGBTQ V.P. candidate J.D. Vance in drag from his college days. 

Over the past weekend, podcast host Matt Bernstein shared the first picture in an X post, which was verified by a responder, Travis Whitfill, who explained in a reply that he was the original source of the photo which was taken by a classmate in 2012 at Yale and then sent to him. This photo went viral on X, trending with #SofaLoren which was decided to be Vance’s drag name: a reference to the iconic actress Sophia Loren and the rumor that Vance had sex with a couch. When The Daily Beast asked a spokesperson of Vance’s about the credibility of the photo, the spokesperson did not deny it but also refused to give any further comments. 

A second photo was posted by Bernstein on August 12, seemingly from the same night as the original photo as Vance is in the same outfit, but with him in a much more confident pose. On Instagram, Bernstein writes, “I see nothing but joy in the heavily lined eyes of JD vance in this photo…there is nothing more natural than the joy that comes from drag, from experimentation, from play. but changing course and becoming a vocal homophobe because you think it’ll score you political points? THAT is unnatural.”

The problem here is not that Vance is dressed in drag in these photos, but rather that this is exactly what he is trying to outlaw. Vance has proven to be extremely anti-LGBTQ+ in his political career. One example of this is his authoring the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which would make it a class C felony to provide gender-affirming surgery to minors. He has called drag queens groomers, making it even more hypocritical that he has dressed in drag and honestly seemed to enjoy it. 

Photos courtesy of social media