Popular drag artist and activist Pattie Gonia is known for combining her love of drag and environmental education. What she didn't expect to be known for was her appearance in Trump’s new political ad, seemingly spewing an anti-trans agenda.
The commercial also features images and clips of notable LGBTQ+ figures – including Harris posing for pictures with Patti, with the tagline: “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.”
After news of the unconsented advertisement made its way to the acclaimed drag artist, Pattie commented on the situation via social media.
“Thousands of you are letting me know that I’m in a Trump ad that attacks queer and trans people. Wasn’t exactly on my bingo card this year,” the drag queen, real name Wyn Wiley, said while dressed as the Statue of Liberty.
“In the ad, Trump continues to use queer people to attack Kamala Harris, to divide our nation, and to wage war against gender-affirming care, which we know saves lives. Is this seriously the best they’ve got?
“No, the Trump campaign did not have my permission to use my name or likeness. Yes, we are reviewing our legal options, and yes, I’m going to do what queer people always do: turn our pain into something positive.”
To further show how serious Pattie Gonia is about her unauthorized cameo in the ad, the activist's spokesperson, Jenny Dugan, said it was possible they could take legal action.
“We are exploring legal options right now and have been advised not to speak further on it at the current time,” Dugan said in a statement to The Advocate.
In an effort to turn a negative into a positive, Pattie shared a link with followers, encouraging them to help raise money for gender-affirming healthcare. By the time the fundraiser closed, donations reached $15,000.
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