Marjorie Taylor Greene Slammed by Texas Drag Artist

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in Washington, DC on Could 8, 2024. Credit score – Allison Bailey—AFP/Getty Pictures

U.S. Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene obtained flack on Wednesday after she shared interview footage of an Austin-based drag performer declaring ladies and kids should be shielded from “males pretending to be ladies.” The issue— the performer, Bridgette Bandit, was born a lady.

Bandit, who usually performs as , was featured on CNN on Tuesday morning for her activism efforts in Washington D.C., the place she spent the day lobbying each Democrat and Republican lawmakers for higher protections for drag artists. She was joined by different drag artists, together with RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Jiggly Caliente and Joey Jay, for a “Drag Foyer Day” to foyer for the Equality Act and the Transgender Invoice of Rights.

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In a video interview with Bandit concerning the Drag Foyer Day, CNN’s Sara Sinder confirmed a clip of former President Donald Trump final week at a marketing campaign occasion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the place he said that if elected, he’ll signal an govt order to chop funding of “any college pushing important race principle, transgenders…on the lives of our kids,” additionally discussing “transgender madness.”

Bandit responded with how she doesn’t already really feel protected in drag in her hometown of Austin, and the way “scary it’s” to see this rhetoric from Trump and different lawmakers. Greene posted the video on X, previously generally known as Twitter, and commented together with her disdain.

“No, what’s scary is males pretending to be ladies studying gender cult mendacity books to our kids, provocatively dancing practically nude in public areas, and taking up our bogs, sports activities, and personal areas,” she mentioned. “Girls and kids want safety from them.”

Bandit slammed again, sharing with the Georgia consultant that she was, in reality, born a lady.

“You’re simply proving that gender is socially constructed and do not know what you’re speaking about and why you shouldn’t have any say in our lives,” she mentioned.

The submit has taken off, with over 4million views, and Greene’s X submit is now accompanied with s context be aware: “The individual within the clip, Brigitte, is a lady and was born feminine. Calling her a person is factually incorrect,” accompanied by a Texas Month-to-month article that closely featured Bandit.

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“I noticed that tweet that she posted once I was about to fly out of D.C. and I knew this was one thing I wanted to handle as a result of I had simply spoken to CNN about how lawmakers use misinformation to push anti-LGBTQ concepts,” Bandit tells TIME. “At any time when I’ve a possibility, I attempt to name individuals out on it.”

Bandit didn’t anticipate that the tweet would take off prefer it has, however when she landed again in Austin, she opened her telephone to a rainstorm of feedback. Some are thanking Bandit for her tweet, and a few are making enjoyable of Greene, and recalling

Bandit has been a drag activist for a number of years. In August 2023, she testified in entrance of U.S. District Decide David Hittner towards Texas , which tried to restrict performances together with drag. Hittner finally discovered that “impermissibly infringes on the First Modification and chills free speech.”

Bandit says that Greene’s remark solely shows the ignorance of lawmakers who need to limit drag.

“I believe that this goes to indicate how Republicans are utilizing queer individuals as scapegoats,” she mentioned.“If Marjorie Taylor Greene truly cared about ladies’s points she would cease speaking about drag queens and begin speaking about the actual points,” she mentioned.

Greene has not responded to TIME’s request for touch upon the incident.

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