If extremism is a competition, Democrat lawmakers in Oregon are in the finals.
They arranged for a drag show to highlight their resolution, from Portland Rep. Travis Nelson, that honors the black drag industry in the state.
Oregon Live waxed eloquent about the event, with, “Isaiah Esquire danced his way through the Oregon House of Representatives on Wednesday to the sounds of Aretha Franklin, followed closely by fellow Black drag performer Aqua Flora, who held a pride flag aloft as they sashayed down the chamber’s center aisle.”
The report noted Speaker Pro Tempore David Gomberg said it was “appropriate” for lawmakers to applaud during the performance.
Nelson said, “Your presence, artistry and courage are a powerful reminder of the joy, resilience and cultural impact of drag in Oregon and beyond. Thank you for sharing your light with us this morning.”
Nelson, as Oregon’s first openly LGBTQ African American lawmaker, offered the self-promoting resolution weeks ago, pointing out that resolutions in the body rarely recognized members of the state’s LGBTQ community.
BREAKING: A circus Drag Show is happening on the floor of the Oregon House of Representatives right now.
I wish I could tell you this is AI folks, but it is very …very real.
If this isn’t a perfect illustration of how much of a joke the Democrat-led Oregon government is, I… pic.twitter.com/gviDuihQWT
— David Medina (@davidmedinapdx) June 18, 2025
Meanwhile, at the Oregon House of Representatives… a drag show on the House floorpic.twitter.com/7gZhcD0t8Q
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 18, 2025
Just two Republicans supported the measure, with most GOP members not in attendance.
A report from Fox News said drag queens Isaiah Esquire and Aqua Flora lip-synched Aretha Franklin’s “A Deeper Love” and another tune while wearing bright gold outfits and dancing around the room.
Nelson described the performance as “incredible.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, House Republican Leader Christine Drazan condemned the performance as an “ostentatious display” of “social activism.”
“Yesterday’s ill-advised performance broke our chamber protocols and standards for opening ceremonies in the Oregon House of Representatives. Turning the House Floor into a smokey bar is beneath the dignity of this body. Opening ceremonies are not the time or place for ostentatious displays of political symbols and social activism,” Drazan said.