Amidst the tumultuous political landscape in Florida, Michael Travis, also known as the fabulous Erika Rose, is vying to unseat incumbent state representative Jim Mooney, a two-term Republican representing Florida House District 120 in Key West. Here’s the whole story.
Could She Be the First Openly Performing Drag Queen To Run for Office?
If Rose emerges victorious, she will be an unprecedented addition to Florida’s state legislature as the first openly performing drag queen.
In a candid conversation with the media, Rose reflects on the intriguing journey she’s embarked upon.
“All of the people that I talked to before I officially put out that this is what I’m going to do, they asked me a question: Am I running to win, or am I running to make a statement?” she said.
“The ‘Trans Agitators Are Here’”
“Now, I’m running to win. I’m running to go out there and sit across the aisle from a representative [Randy Fine], who has trashed the entire Pride system in his district; to sit across the aisle from a representative [Spencer] Roach who, when we were in Tallahassee [protesting], went on his little Twitter and is like the ‘trans agitators are here’,” she added.
She noted, “Because one, yeah, there’s a statement. I’m gonna be sitting across the aisle going, ‘Hi. Hello. We’re equals’ – assuming they don’t get voted out of office. But either way, we’re making a statement. The statement has been made. The system is so wacky that a drag queen is running for office. My mother reminded me of this: that if I win, great, we win. If I don’t win the election, you still win.”
In a Protest Against Florida’s Anti-Drag Bill
Rose’s decision to run for office was spurred by her participation in a protest against Florida’s anti-drag bill (SB 1438) in April.
A realization struck her during her ten-hour drive to the state capitol in Tallahassee.
“It was on that drive up there that I was like, ‘We need to run for office. We’ve been talking about this. Running at the city level, like mosquito boards, really isn’t going to do any good for anybody. We’ll run at the state level. At least that way, we can be a voice of reason at the state level,” she said.
“Simulate Nudity, Sexual Conduct, or Specific Sexual Activities”
The bill in question, signed into law by Governor DeSantis in May, empowers the state to penalize establishments admitting minors to performances that “simulate nudity, sexual conduct, or specific sexual activities.”
This legislation adds to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare, and limitations on restroom access for transgender individuals.
However, a federal judge has intervened, placing a preliminary injunction on the drag ban in June, citing an inadequate definition of performances to be banned.
Erika Rose contends that Florida’s politicians have sidestepped genuine issues affecting residents, such as housing market troubles and environmental concerns, to instead target drag queens and transgender individuals.
“We’re Going After Drag Queens Because Drag Queens Are Historically the Loud, Bright Ones That Everybody Sees”
“In my personal opinion, because that’s the only one I’ve got right now, we’re going after drag queens because drag queens are historically the loud, bright ones that everybody sees,” she explained.
“We’re gonna be the ones that go out and say, ‘That ain’t right.’ So, if you get rid of the drag queens and then you start going after – here it’s less than one percent of the community – that less than one percent of the community is not going to have a voice,” she concluded.
Several social media users expressed their thoughts on the incident.
“We Don’t Need Sad, Lonely Men Dressing as Women for Political Clout”
One Twitter user wrote, “If only drag queens would shut up! I personally am so sick of seeing men in women’s faces talking about how they are minorities and oppressed.”
Another User wrote, “People like this aren’t representative of the population, let alone the population of LGBT people. We don’t need sad, lonely men dressing as women for political clout. We just don’t. We could vote for an actual woman instead, you know?”
The post From Heels to House Rep? Florida’s Drag Queen Shakes Up the Political Scene! first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Jacob Lund. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Pink News