Texas drag queen Brigitte Bandit hit back at Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene with a brutal fact-check after Greene attacked her on social media following Bandit's appearance on CNN to discuss the importance of the Equality Act and the Transgender Bill of Rights.
When presented with a video of former President Donald Trump telling a rally of his supporters that he would cut funding from schools that teach “transgender insanity" should he return to the White House, Bandit said:
“We already see so many attacks on our queer community.
"I already don't feel safe in my own hometown just dressed in drag like this and it’s very scary for queer people to exist in a time where we see this kind of rhetoric being pushed by our lawmakers and the people who should care about other issues that actually affect the American people other than attacking our community, our LGBTQI+ community."
"I hope for better for our country."
You can hear what Bandit said in the video below.
The clip of Bandit's remarks soon caught Greene's attention and she quickly lashed out:
“No, what’s scary is men pretending to be women reading gender cult lying books to our children, provocatively dancing nearly nude in public spaces, and taking over our bathrooms, sports, and private spaces. Women and children need protection from them."
You can see her post below.
There's a major problem with Greene's remarks however—Bandit is actually a cisgender woman.
In fact, Bandit—who is nonbinary and uses she/her and they/them pronouns—previously told news outlets that she had been interested in drag performance while growing up in Texas but was initially under the impression that she could not perform because she is a woman.
She explained in a previous interview with Texas Monthly that drag "really is just more like a costume or a theater performance" while pointing out flaws with the gender binary:
"If I put you in a dress right now, would you be a drag queen? Being a drag queen takes so much more work than just putting you in a dress. It’s actually hours to get into drag. If you put a woman in a pair of pants, is she all of a sudden a drag king? No, she’s just a woman in a pair of pants."
And Bandit was quick to shut Greene down with the following clap back:
"Hi Marjorie! I’m Brigitte and I’m the queen in the clip. I’m born female and not a man. You are just proving that gender is socially constructed and have no idea what you’re talking about and why you should have no say in our lives."
You can see her post below.
Many soon joined her in criticizing the clueless Greene.
Bandit made headlines earlier this year after singer Dolly Parton—the inspiration for much of her drag persona—gifted her with a personalized rhinestoned acoustic guitar.
The extraordinary gift was a testament to Bandit's courage and activism, particularly regarding her outspoken stand against Texas's controversial drag ban. It stemmed from Parton's discovery of Bandit's activism, including the time she protested at the state capitol while carrying a children's book about Parton.
At the time, Bandit thanked Parton "for helping me find my strength in femininity and kindness and thank you to my kingdom castmates for such a special tribute moment."
Bandit's courageous stance in advocating for inclusivity and challenging discriminatory laws earned them both admiration and backlash, with many of those who've attacked the LGBTQ+ community claiming that advocates are “groomers… advocating for the sexualization of children."