Maebe A. Girl

Maebe A. Girl is a drag queen and councilperson in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. Maebe came to prominence as the first drag queen ever elected to public office in the United States.

On June 28, 2019, Maebe announced a Democratic Party bid for California's 28th congressional district, challenging incumbent Adam Schiff. She positioned herself as the progressive alternative to Schiff, who has been characterized as a moderate or conservative Democrat. If successful, Maebe A. Girl would have been the first transgender person ever elected to Congress.

Maebe conceded the 2020 election on March 27, 2020, when the final results from Los Angeles County races were released. She placed third in a very close race with fellow Schiff challenger Eric Early, a Republican.

Early life and drag career
Maebe A. Girl was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She subsequently moved to Chicago, where she became semi-notable for doing pizza tours of the city.

Years later, Maebe would begin performing in drag. As host and producer of the Lyric Hyperion Theatre's drag brunch, she became known for doing satirical impressions of figures including Melania Trump, Betsy DeVos, and Sarah Sanders.

Political positions
Maebe considers herself a progressive, and has likened her policies to those of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her policies are strongly pro-LGBTQIA, identifying as a queer person. She has said that dressing in drag is itself political, and has "taught [her] how to engage with people". Sitting on the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's Homelessness Committee, Maebe has highlighted homelessness in her campaign and tied it to the high number of homeless LGBTQ youth (40% of total homeless youth identify this way). She supports Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and the abortion-rights movement.

Silver Lake Neighborhood Councilwoman
Having worked as an overnight supervisor at a homeless shelter, Maebe A. Girl declared a run for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council on the basis of addressing the homelessness crisis, supporting LGBTQIA rights, and protecting immigrants. Maebe followed in the footsteps of José Sarria, a drag queen who became the first openly gay man to seek public office. (Sarria ran in San Francisco in 1961 and lost, but the parallels between Sarria and Maebe A. Girl have been noted by news outlets including The Advocate.) Maebe ran for Neighborhood Council with a slate of candidates called Silver Lake Progressive. The election took place on April 16, 2019, when Maebe was elected and became the first known drag queen ever elected to public office.

Maebe formed the Silver Lake LGBTQIA Advocates Committee, a new type of committee in Los Angeles. Maebe soon took on the position on the council of Homelessness Liaison, aiming to bridge the gap between the Homelessness Committee and the rest of the council. As part of this homeless advocacy work, she voted in favor of submitting a Community Impact Statement to Los Angeles City Hall to address homeless encampment clean-ups.

Congressional run, 2020
Maebe A. Girl announced on June 28, 2019 that she would be challenging Adam Schiff in the March 3, 2020 primary election for California's 28th congressional district. She said her goal for policy-making was in three parts: "PROTECT, ADVOCATE, and LEGISLATE". Maebe decided to run as a Democrat, challenging Schiff from the left, and receiving the endorsement of progressive groups like the LA Democratic Socialists of America and Our Revolution LA.

During the campaign, Schiff became a prominent voice in the impeachment of Donald Trump, significantly increasing his popularity among Democrats. Even though Donald Trump was not removed from office, Schiff stood by the impeachment, and appeared to maintain popularity in his district as a result of it.

Seven challengers opted to run against Schiff in the 2020 primary. Of these, four (including Maebe A. Girl) were Democrats. Though two Republican Party candidates appeared on the ballot in the district, attorney Eric Early enjoyed the clear backing of the California Republican Party, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars and strongly supporting Donald Trump. Independent challenger Jennifer Barbosa campaigned on some similar topics to Maebe A. Girl, focusing the largest amount on homelessness. In contrast to Maebe, however, Barbosa spoke out against Donald Trump's impeachment and called Schiff's comments on Russian collusion "disgraceful".

Links

 * Website
 * Twitter
 * Instagram