Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has seen it all in Washington, and she knows the conservatives have chosen a losing long-term strategy with attacks on trans people and drag performers.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Advocate’s John Casey, Pelosi reflected on America’s past, present, and future. She also mentioned she’s a great aunt to a young transgender woman, and that desperate conservatives “turn to the trans and drag communities because they think that that has some salience.”
I don’t know, does anybody really think that the drag issue is a threat? Of course not, so they’re going to lose on that too.“
Nancy Pelosi
Pelosi said her grand-niece reminds her that
anytime any of you say something positive about us, it means so much to us.”
Casey agreed, and said,
I hear that same thing from drag queens, too.”
Pelosi replied:
A few years ago, it was during COVID because we had an event in lieu of a parade where you had to be six feet apart on the ground. And that was our celebration.
And when I got up there to speak, and I don’t know, it didn’t even occur to me that it was different or anything, but I started talking about drag and drag queens, and all of them who were with us that day. And later, people were coming up to me, and they said,
We never thought we’d see the day when the Speaker of the House would talk about drag queens.’
And I thought, well, what’s the big deal about that? But if talking about them publicly helps, then I’m happy to do whatever I can to support them.
Pelosi also reveals the most impactful LGBTQ+ legislator she ever worked with was Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Rep who served from 1981 to 2013 and came out as gay in ’86.
It’s a great interview about how her parents shaped her views on the LGBTQ+ community. Read the rest.
Image: JPI Studios / Avalon
