The former contestants have come together to create Drag PAC, a political action committee, to mobilize and encourage Gen Z voters to vote.
The group is founded by notable drag queens including Alaska, BenDeLaCreme, Jinkx Monsoon, Monét X Change, Peppermint, and Willam, and announced its existence in a YouTube video released on June 26.
This video stressed the importance of the 2024 election, especially concerning its potential effects on LGBTQ+ people within the United States, due to the recent rise of anti-trans policies and opinions expressed by several elected officials within the United States. The video and the queens emphasize the importance of every single vote and how the election can also impact local communities.
Drag PAC has not yet endorsed any candidates or specified any policy goals but instead seems to be focused on improving voter turnout from the queer community. The website emphasizes registering to vote and provides a form in which to do so. It also provides a guide to different voting requirements in different states, as well as providing a form to check if you are currently registered to vote. Their general mission statement is to protect “LGBTQ+ rights through democratic action.” Despite this lack of candidate specificity, in the announcement video, Monét X Change states, “We are here to make waves: a big blue ass wave.”
According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, there are currently 111 anti-trans bills being considered in 43 out of the 50 states, with 48 bills having already been passed this year. In addition, 2024 is the fifth year in a row the U.S. broke its own record for the number of anti-trans legislation being passed.
Anti-LGBTQ ideas are continuing to rise, which is especially visible in the large number of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that is being passed. Another recent example of this is the recent passing of MilCon from the House of Representatives, a bill that includes several anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion riders.
Photo courtesy of YouTube
