San Francisco Naming First Drag Laureate Sparks Huge Debate

The city of San Francisco's announcement on Thursday that it had selected its first drag laureate prompted an online debate about whether it was the most effective use of public funds.

D'Arcy Drollinger, an actor and director, was named as the Californian city's inaugural drag queen ambassador, and will receive a $55,000 stipend paid by the San Francisco Public Library over an 18-month term "to support their work and community engagement."

The announcement comes in response to legislation being considered by states across the country to limit drag and wider LGBTQ+ inclusion. As of April 25, there were 14 state legislatures considering bills to restrict or ban drag, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Lawmakers have previously expressed concerns over Drag Queen Story Hour—readings for children by drag performers at libraries—arguing the proposed laws are necessary to protect children, but critics argue they create a hostile environment and infringe on LGBTQ+ rights.

"While drag culture is under attack in other parts of the country, in San Francisco we embrace and elevate the amazing drag performers who through their art and advocacy have contributed to our City's history," San Francisco's Democratic mayor, London Breed, said in a statement.

"In the face of anti-trans, anti-queer and anti-drag legislation, San Francisco has one thing to say: 'Hold my earrings!'" wrote Sister Roma, a drag queen and activist and member of the laureate review panel.

While some praised the initiative for shining a positive light on the city's LGBTQ+ community, others noted that, like many large metropolitan areas, San Francisco had acute issues with crime and deprivation.

Jim Minardi tweeted that San Francisco had become a "national joke," adding mockingly: "Ignore the s***-covered streets overrun by crackheads & rampant homelessness, we just named our first Drag Laureate."

Meanwhile, Raj Patel argued that Breed was "too busy posing in pictures with her new Drag Queen Laureate, espousing diversity and inclusion while Rome burns."

"I feel certain this will tackle the homeless and drug problems facing [San Francisco] going forward," Howard Aulsbrook wrote in response.

According to the city's own figures, in 2022 there were an estimated 7,754 homeless people in San Francisco, out of a population of around 815,000, placing it in the top five U.S. cities for the number of homeless individuals per 100,000 residents.

The city's Department of Public Health also recorded 620 accidental drug overdose deaths in 2022, but noted this was part of a two-year downward trend from a high in 2020 it said was "in large part" due to the coronavirus pandemic and the explosion of usage of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Newsweek approached the office of the San Francisco mayor via email for comment on Friday.

During their tenure, the drag laureate will be tasked with serving as a spokesperson for San Francisco's LGBTQ+ community, producing and taking part in "community-based" drag programs, and ensuring the city's "rich drag history is shared, honored, and preserved," it said.

The idea for the laureate initiative arose from suggestions made by citizens in a 2020 report into how San Francisco's LGBTQ+ legacy might be honored. Senator Scott Wiener, a California Democrat, described the initiative as "inspiring."

The city added that candidates were vetted according to certain criteria, including "having fundamental knowledge of the City's drag history" and "a background in community activism, engagement, and philanthropy."

Drollinger is the owner of OASIS, a nightclub that hosts drag shows and cabaret, and during the COVID pandemic spearheaded the "Meals on Heels" scheme, which employed out-of-work drag acts to deliver food and offer socially distanced performances to those staying at home.

The drag performer said they were "honored and thrilled" to be chosen, adding: "I am proud to live in a city that is pioneering this position while other parts of the U.S. and the world might not be supportive of drag."

LGBTQ+ rights have become a key part of the culture wars, amid a nationwide push by conservatives to restrict those freedoms, specifically for transgender individuals as well as drag queens. However, according to a 2023 Gallup poll, 55 percent of Americans were satisfied with the acceptance of gay and lesbian people, while 38 percent were dissatisfied.

Amid this political debate, LGBTQ+ people are significantly more likely to be a target for hate in America than non-LGBTQ+ people, a 2022 study found.

GLAAD reported 166 incidents of anti-LGBTQ protests and threats targeting drag events since early 2022, with an additional 25 recorded as of April 25 this year. Six of those "anti-drag attacks" occurred in California in 2022, and GLAAD said several of the nationwide incidents involved violence or weapons.

In April, Equality Florida, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, issued a travel advisory warning members of the community against visiting Florida, over a range of concerns including the state's legislative agenda and an increased threat of violence. A spokesperson for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis described the move as a "stunt."

The National Center for Lesbian Rights said the announcement of San Francisco's first drag laureate was "a shining light of hope and joy" during "a time when drag queens are being targeted by legislative attacks and actual threats of physical harm."