Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico named Alyssa Edwards as his favorite drag queen.
The name refers to Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, whose stage name is Alyssa Edwards. The drag performer has been outspoken on LGBT issues, especially in support of youth drag shows.
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James Talarico says his “favorite drag queen” is Alyssa Edwards — who has described himself as “a drag performer that works with children.” pic.twitter.com/u5HNKh4CQt
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Talarico was approached by a man after a campaign event who said he “was there when you defended the drags.”
“Mr. Talarico, so nice to meet you. … I was there when you defended the drags. … Who is your favorite drag queen?” the unidentified man said.
To which Talarico responded: “Oh my gosh, probably Alyssa Edwards.”
Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, whose stage name is Alyssa Edwards, is a drag performer and activist who has been outspoken on LGBT+ issues, especially LGBTQ+ youth.
“Let me be absolutely clear. Justin has never promoted youth participation in drag shows. That is a patently false characterization of his work. For more than 20 years, he has taught and trained dancers through Beyond Belief Dance Company. Conflating his work as a dance educator with encouraging children to participate in drag is inaccurate and irresponsible.
Justin’s position has always been that he trusts parents to decide what entertainment is right for their families. Period. Laws and political rhetoric that portray drag performers or LGBTQ+ artists as threats to children are harmful, especially to young people who are simply trying to understand and feel comfortable with who they are,” a publicist for Johnson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
He has previously spoken out against President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. In an interview with Medium, Johnson asked the president if he knew what it was like to be “on the other side of this wall you want to build,” in reference to banning trans people from the military.
In Texas, Johnson spoke out after former Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton announced in 2022 plans to propose a bill banning drag shows in front of minors. A Texas judge ultimately struck down the ban, citing First Amendment concerns.
“My thoughts: 1) Our God is a God of Love. 2) Parents are a child’s 1st & most important teacher/role model. 3) Drag is an art form which is subjective. 4) You, sir, have tweeted more about #drag than the loss at #Uvalde. Is this truly about children or politics? #Priorities,” Edwards tweeted.
The 46-year-old performer has been doing drag since the early 2000s.
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In 2012, Johnson was one of 14 to compete on the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Currently, the TV personality lives in Mesquite, Texas, and runs Beyond Belief Dance Company, according to the performer’s website. Johnson also has a Netflix series, Dancing Queen, currently in its first season.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to both Talarico and Edwards for comment.