A drag performance was held in the Minnesota State Capitol building for “Transgender Day of Visibility” Friday, prompting widespread criticism online.
A drag queen performs in the Minnesota Capitol for "Trans Day of Visibility." pic.twitter.com/ikZZLuX7Om
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) March 31, 2023
The performer, Tomi Saint James, has published nude photos of himself online and other pictures where he’s dressed as a demon. “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Devil my soul to keep,” says one post from James’ Instagram account.
Tomi Saint James https://t.co/NuO5azSuwD pic.twitter.com/5OWIqyFJQl
— 🇺🇸Mary🇺🇸 (@RepMaryFranson) March 31, 2023
James also moved his drag performance from the designated stage and danced on the roped-off North Star symbol in the middle of the Capitol rotunda.
The event was hosted by OutFront Minnesota, a LGBTQ civil rights group, and livestreamed by Minnesota Democrats. Small children with transgender flags tied on their backs and babies in strollers can be seen in the livestream of the event.
Speakers included Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Rep. Leigh Finke, and Rep. Alicia Kozlowski, all Democrats.
“Yesterday I had the honor and pleasure of performing inside of the Minnesota State Capitol for [Trans Day of Visibility] where I was surrounded by love, acceptance, and care. Today I had the honor of being doxxed, called disgusting, and have my face turned into memes, all with a collective 1M views of my performance from the far right voters and their legislators. It really goes to show that what I’m doing with my platform is exactly what I should be doing,” James wrote on Instagram.
Another Democrat, Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, posted on Twitter that she took her child to a drag brunch last month.
☑️3 hours of barista duty
☑️Drag brunch with my kiddo
🔲Nap
🔲Loons opener pic.twitter.com/myU4WDeMOl— Jamie Becker-Finn (@jbeckerfinn) March 11, 2023
The brunch Becker-Finn attended, identified as the Unicorn Drag Brunch at Arts + Rec Uptown, was hosted by Lady Martina, one of Martina Marraccino’s identities.
Marraccino previously came under fire for performing at a taxpayer-funded, “family-friendly” drag event. Marraccino, who also goes by the name Adam Divine, has starred in incest-themed pornography and declared himself to be a satanist.
In an interview for a Minneapolis arts blog, Marraccino explained the reason behind his all-ages drag brunch. “I set out to create the type of entertainment that I wished existed when I was a child, and since I never really grew up, it’s really easy for me to remember,” he said.
A bill currently in the Minnesota Senate seeks to classify drag performances as adult entertainment, which would prohibit shows like this from taking place on public property.
“We’ve gotten to a point now where absolutely, that’s what we need to do is to classify these sexualized grooming performances as adult entertainment,” said Sen. Eric Lucero, R-St. Michael, author of the bill.
“Again, not to just protect the safety of our children physically, but to protect their minds, because that’s what these performances are doing is they’re targeting the minds of our children, desensitizing them and making it so that our children are more receptive to this, again, unhealthy sexual behavior.”
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
