Texas Performers Join National Effort to Stop Drag and Pride Bans and Censorship
AUSTIN, TX – Two drag performers from Texas have joined a growing national movement launched by Qommittee demanding that elected officials stop attacks on Pride celebrations and drag performances across America. Maxine LaQueene of Austin and Isis Paris York of Corpus Christi are among 20 drag artists from seven states co-sponsoring the national petition following last week's Kennedy Center protest where drag performers confronted President Trump's performance in full drag. LaQueene also spoke at the Austin, Texas “No Kings” event this past weekend. The campaign also follows the launch of Qommittee's Drag Defense Handbook, a 43-page guide for performers facing harassment and threats.
Read more about the Kennedy Center protests in Entertainment Weekly, the Advocate and New York Times.
Read more about the Drag Defense Handbook in NPR, Billboard, and The Hill.
The petition, "Stop Attacks on Pride, LGBTQ+ People, and Drag: Protect Free Expression Nationwide," has garnered over 17,000 signatures and calls on officials to reject restrictions on Pride and drag events, stop targeting LGBTQ+ people through discriminatory laws, and hold accountable those who threaten performers and venues.
Attacks in Texas
The petition comes as Texas faces unprecedented anti-LGBTQ+ attacks. Lawmakers have filed over 200 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, while new legislation HB 1075 and HB 938 would allow minors to sue drag performers for up to $5,000 in damages. The state has experienced Neo-Nazi disruptions, bomb threats, armed confrontations, and systematic doxxing campaigns, making Texas among the most dangerous states for drag performers.
Featured Quotes from Texas Performers
Maxine LaQueene, Austin – Qo-founder of Qommittee
"The attacks on drag aren't just attacks on performers—they're attacks on free expression, on LGBTQ+ people, and on anyone who dares to be different. When they try to silence us, we get louder. When they try to erase us, we become more visible. When they try to divide us, we stand together."
LaQueene has been forcibly removed from the Texas Capitol, subjected to death threats, and banned from returning, yet courageously returned in May 2025 to testify against anti-drag legislation as covered by the Austin Chronicle. LaQueene also spoke at the Austin, Texas “No Kings” event this past weekend.
Isis Paris York, Corpus Christi – Co-owner of AZUL Entertainment and Qo-Founder of Qommittee
"Censorship of expression is a slippery slope. The freedom of speech and expression are two of the greatest gifts our founding fathers left for us. When the government begins banning and regulating these rights, it sets unhealthy precedence for them to be able to take away more."
Despite facing threats from hate groups and venue boycotts, York and their husband have built AZUL Entertainment into a regional platform serving nearly a dozen performers. As they told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times: "Drag is a job, and now drag is political... drag is a protest."
