At a recent campaign event, Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico quickly identified Alyssa Edwards as his favorite drag queen in the state. Edwards, also known as Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, is recognized for his work with children in drag performance.
Talarico’s remarks on sexuality and gender have recently become focal points in the Senate race. He previously stated that ‘God is nonbinary’ and lauded Texas for having ‘some of the best drag queens in the nation’ in 2023.
A video from the event shows Talarico interacting with a supporter who praised his defense of drag performers. The supporter asked, ‘Who’s your favorite drag queen in Texas?’ Talarico responded without hesitation, naming Alyssa Edwards.
Talarico headlined an event called ‘Taylor PRIDE’ in 2021, where an 11-year-old performed under the name Kween Kee Kee.
Justin Johnson, known on stage as Alyssa Edwards, has been a strong advocate for youth drag shows. In an interview with Out magazine, Johnson recalled performing at World Pride in New York with his dance students, describing it as a significant moment in his life.
Johnson has been recognized in the Netflix series ‘Dancing Queen,’ where he mentored young dancers. The Dallas Observer highlighted a segment where a young student dressed as Alyssa Edwards during an episode.
When asked for comment about the exchange, Talarico’s campaign redirected criticism towards his Republican opponent. Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis commented on the opposing candidate, Ken Paxton, accusing him of providing favorable deals to child sex offenders.
Talarico recently admitted to Fox News that his previous comments on gender ‘missed the mark.’ He distanced himself from earlier statements about the number of sexes. He indicated these topics are brought up to detract from economic discussions, such as fuel prices under Republican leadership.
Fox News reached out to Justin Johnson’s representatives, and this report includes contributions from Fox News’ Brooke Taylor.
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