In an historic move, the major candidates for Mayor of Philadelphia gathered for a photo shoot to support the drag community and say that violence against drag performers is unacceptable. The photo shoot took place March 21 at Philadelphia City Hall and featured eight candidates for mayor and ten local drag performers. While bans and attacks on drag performances and story hours proliferate across the country, the candidates for mayor have come together to say: “Not in Philadelphia.”
“This photoshoot is about standing up against violence,” said Mark Segal, Publisher of Philadelphia Gay News, which organized the event. “Just last weekend Proud Boys members tried to disrupt a Drag Queen Story Time at New York’s LGBT Community Center and it ended in bloody arrest. Philadelphia candidates for mayor have come together to support the drag community and say that violence against drag performers is unacceptable.”
(Front L-R) VinChelle, Domingo Chiquito, Tina Montgomery, and Yari. (Back L-R)- Dominique Lee, Poochie, Eric Jaffe, Brittany Lynn, Rocceaux, and Morgan Wells in the Mayor’s Reception Room in City Hall 
Morgan Wells, Amen Brown, and Eric Jaffe 
Tina Montgomery and Allan Domb 
Rebecca Rhynhart and Domingo Chiquito 
Dominique Lee, Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, and Rocceaux 
Morgan Wells and Cherelle Parker 
Brittany Lynn and Derek Green 
VinChelle, Helen Gym, and Poochie 
Yari and Jeff Brown
Across the country, as drag performers continue to be the subject of fear-mongering tactics, events such as Drag Queen Story Time have received threats of violence and have been subject to disruption or cancellation. In addition, 15 States have either restricted or have introduced legislation restricting drag performances. Last month, Tennessee became the first state to officially ban drag performances in public spaces, and similar legislation has been introduced in Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia. Locally, protestors have disrupted Drag Queen Story Time events at the Cherry Hill Library and forced cancellations of events in West Chester and Allentown, among other incidents.
“Attacks on the drag community are attacks on the LGBTQ community and specifically the trans community,” Philadelphia Gay News editor Jason Villemez said. “Just like the calls to ban books and prevent trans youth from receiving healthcare, attacks on drag performers are yet another tactic meant to erase people. We all have a right to exist free from violence and discrimination. It was heartening to see so many candidates for mayor show up in support of drag performers, LGBTQ people, and trans people. Our community needs more allies like them nationwide.”
The candidates for mayor who participated in the photoshoot were Amen Brown, Jeff Brown, Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, and Rebecca Rhynhart.
The drag performers who participated were Brittany Lynn, Dominique Lee, Eric Jaffe, Morgan Wells, Poochie, Rocceaux, Rita Brujeria, Tina Montgomery, VinChelle, and Yari.
