Maebe A. Girl
Member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council
Assumed office
May 2019
ConstituencyAt-Large (2021–present)
Region 5 (2019–2021)
Personal details
Born (1986-07-27) July 27, 1986 (age 37)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Occupation
Websitemaebeagirlforcongress.org Edit this at Wikidata
Other namesG. Pudlo

Maebe A. Girl (also known as G. Pudlo; born July 27, 1986) is an American drag queen and politician. She came to prominence as the first drag queen ever elected to public office in the United States, after being elected to the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles in 2019.[1][2][3] Girl is non-binary and uses she/her and they/them pronouns.[4][5]

On June 28, 2019, Girl announced a Democratic Party bid for California's 28th congressional district, challenging incumbent Adam Schiff.[6][7] If successful, Girl would have been the first transgender person ever elected to Congress.[8] She conceded the election on March 27, 2020, when the final results from Los Angeles County races were released, after placing third.[9]

On February 2, 2021, Girl announced that she would run against Schiff again in the 2022 election. Girl placed second in the June 2022 jungle primary and advanced to the general election, becoming the first Democrat running against Schiff to do so.[10] After Schiff announced that he would retire from the House of Representatives to run for Senate in 2024, Girl announced her candidacy for his seat a third time to succeed him.

Early life and drag career

Girl was born in Pittsburgh. She subsequently moved to Chicago, where she did pizza tours of the city.[11] She came out to her parents at 16, and she noted they were supportive.[12] While living in Chicago, after Mayor Richard M. Daley stepped down as mayor in 2011, Girl considered running for mayor, but did not meet the signature requirements to get on ballot.[11] She also volunteered as an overnight supervisor at Lincoln Park Community Center.[3]

Girl later began performing in drag. In 2014, she moved from Chicago to Highland Park, Los Angeles.[13] As host and producer of the Lyric Hyperion Theatre's drag brunch,[4] she became known for doing satirical impressions of political figures, including Melania Trump, Betsy DeVos, Kellyanne Conway, and Sarah Sanders.[14][3][13]

Girl is 6'2".[11][12] She is also an ordained minister.[15] In regards to the news coverage about her being a drag queen in elected office, Girl expressed that she understood the tabloid element of her profession and even promoted her campaigns at drag events and in drag,[15] but that there had also "been an overemphasis on the fact that I’m a drag queen and an under-emphasis on the fact that I’m a trans person".[16] She stated that "drag is what I do, trans is who I am."[15]

Girl was featured as a guest on a roundtable discussion for Yes! Magazine on International Transgender Day of Visibility in 2023.[17]

Political career

Silver Lake Neighborhood Council

After working as an overnight supervisor at a homeless shelter, Girl declared a run for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council on the basis of addressing the homelessness crisis, supporting LGBTQIA+ rights, and protecting immigrants.[1] Girl ran for Neighborhood Council with a slate of first-time candidates called Silver Lake Progressive, and all eleven candidates on the slate won, winning a majority in the council. She was elected in the election on April 16, 2019, becoming the first known drag queen ever elected to public office.[18]

After her election, Girl formed the Silver Lake LGBTQIA Advocates Committee,[19][20] which she co-chairs.[12] She 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.[21]

In August 2020, on public comment, Girl endorsed a motion to establish the Los Angeles Commission on Lived Experiences with Homelessness, which would include unhoused people, calling it a “great idea, as long as it’s not conducted in vain,” and emphasizing how the commission would need to be diverse and reflective of the unhoused demographics, with black, brown, Native, and transgender representatives.[22]

2020 congressional election

Girl announced on June 28, 2019 that they would be challenging Adam Schiff in the March 3, 2020 primary election for California's 28th congressional district. They said their goal for policy-making was in three parts: "Protect, Advocate, and Legislate".[23] Girl decided to run as a Democrat, challenging Schiff from the left, and receiving the endorsement of progressive groups, including the local branches of Our Revolution.[24]

2022 congressional election

Girl ran against Adam Schiff for a second time in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections for California's 30th congressional district, to which Schiff had been redistricted. She advanced to the general election, finishing second in the primary with 12.9%.[10] She became the first trans nonbinary person to advance to a general election for a House seat,[25][15] following Misty Snow's record as the first transgender person to become a major party nominee for the United States Senate.[26]

Girl lost against Schiff in the general election, bringing in 28.9% of the vote.

2024 congressional election

Main article: 2024 California's 30th congressional district election

Girl announced her candidacy for California's 30th congressional district on January 26, 2023.[27] This came after Adam Schiff, the current incumbent, announced his plans to run for Senate, leaving the congressional district without an incumbent.

Political positions

Girl considers herself a progressive, and has likened her policies to those of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.[12] She was also inspired by Susan B. Anthony's advocacy for social reforms.[3] Her policies are strongly pro-LGBTQIA+.[4] She has said that dressing in drag is "part of who [she is] as a queer person" and is itself political, saying it "taught [her] how to engage with people".[28] Sitting on the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's Homelessness Committee, Girl 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).[12] She supports Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, abortion rights, federally backed housing vouchers for unhoused individuals, and Education for All.[16][29][30]

Girl opposes going to war with Iran,[20] Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen, and increases in defense spending.[29] She has repeatedly expressed support for the abolition of ICE.[31][10]

Endorsements

In the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Girl posted on social media in support of the second presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders.[32] In the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election, Girl endorsed twenty-year old activist Alex Gruenenfelder,[33] while endorsing many progressive candidates in the 2022 Los Angeles elections including Faisal Gill.[citation needed] In the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Girl endorsed the longshot campaign of Marianne Williamson against incumbent President Joe Biden,[34] who she has criticized.[citation needed]

Electoral history

2020 United States House of Representatives elections in California
California's 28th congressional district[35]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adam Schiff (incumbent) 110,251 59.57
Republican Eric Early 23,243 12.56
Democratic Maebe A. Girl 22,129 11.96
Independent Jennifer Barbosa 10,421 5.63
Republican William Bodell 7,093 3.83
Democratic Sal Genovese 6,294 3.40
Democratic Ara Khachig Manoogian 3,920 1.78
Democratic Chad D. Anderson 2,359 1.27
Total votes 185,080 100
2022 United States House of Representatives elections in California
California's 30th congressional district[36]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adam Schiff (incumbent) 102,290 62.45
Democratic Maebe A. Girl 21,053 12.85
Republican Ronda Kennedy 13,953 8.52
Republican Patrick Lee Gipson 10,529 6.43
Republican Johnny J. Nalbandian 7,693 4.70
Republican Paloma Zuniga 2,614 1.60
Democratic Sal Genovese 2,612 1.59
Green William "Gunner" Meurer 1,598 0.98
American Independent Tony Rodriguez 1,460 0.89
Total votes 163,802 100
General election
Democratic Adam Schiff (incumbent) 150,100 71.1
Democratic G "Maebe A. Girl" Pudlo 60,968 28.9
Total votes 211,068 100.0

References

  1. ^ a b Valenzuela, Beatriz E. (April 5, 2019). "Drag queen Maebe A. Girl running for Silver Lake Neighborhood Council". Q Voice News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "NowThis News: Meet the First Drag Queen Elected to Public Office in the United States". YouTube. NowThis News. June 29, 2019. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Blum, Steven (April 12, 2019). "Meet the First Drag Queen to Be Elected to Public Office in California". LA Magazine. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Reynolds, Daniel (April 11, 2019). "Maebe A. Girl Is First Drag Queen Elected to Office in California". The Advocate. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  5. ^ Zonkel, Phillip (April 11, 2019). "Maebe A. Girl might be California's 1st drag queen elected to public office". Q Voice News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  6. ^ "Maebe A. Girl for Congress". Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  7. ^ "She May Be the 1st Drag Queen Elected to Congress: 'People Can't Ignore You,' Says Maebe A. Girl". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  8. ^ "The First Drag Queen Elected to Local Office Is Making a Run for Congress". Route Fifty. August 21, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  9. ^ "Q Voice News: Maebe A. Girl, Drag Queen Running for Congress, Finishes in 3rd Place". March 29, 2020. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c Maronski, Joe (August 5, 2022). "California candidate seeks to be the first transgender, nonbinary member of Congress". NBC News.
  11. ^ a b c Esposito, Stefano (February 2, 2020). "Ex-Chicagoan who led pizza tours making long shot bid to be first drag queen in Congress". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e Kocak, Courtney (September 24, 2019). "For Maebe A. Girl, gender nonconformity isn't her only political act". KCRW. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Nate, Dakota; Ziegler, Robiee (July 8, 2019). "Wigs & Waffles Brunch: Drag's Weekly Daytime Takeover at The Standard". LA Downtowner. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "Green Eggs and Glam Drag Brunch! – The Lyric Hyperion". Lyric Hyperion. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d Guest, Cambri (September 30, 2022). "Maebe A. Girl seeks to be first openly trans, nonbinary member of Congress". Spectrum News 1. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Ray, Justin (May 19, 2022). "Congressional candidate Maebe A. Girl is campaigning through drag shows". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  17. ^ Kolhatkar, Sonali (March 29, 2023). "Transphobia and Allyship on Trans Day of Visibility". YES! Magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  18. ^ Zonkel, Phillip (April 11, 2019). "Maebe A. Girl might be California's 1st drag queen elected official". Q Voice News. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  19. ^ "LGBTQIA Committee: Silver Lake Neighborhood Council". Silver Lake Neighborhood Council. September 21, 2021. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Kiley, Rachel (June 30, 2019). "California's First Elected Drag Queen Is Now Running for Congress". Pride. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  21. ^ Lank, Barry (April 14, 2020). "Neighborhood councils reach out to homeless and elderly during coronavirus despite limits". The Eastsider LA. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  22. ^ Rylah, Juliet Bennett (August 10, 2020). "New L.A. Commission on Homelessness Would Include Unhoused People". We :) Like L.A. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  23. ^ Hod, Itay (October 30, 2019). "Maebe A. Girl Might Be Congress' First Drag Queen". Spectrum News 1.
  24. ^ Zonkel, Phillip (June 30, 2019). "Drag queen Maebe A Girl announces run for Congress". Q Voice News. Archived from the original on November 30, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  25. ^ Lakritz, Talia (November 9, 2022). "9 LGBTQ+ people in politics who have made history this year". Insider. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  26. ^ Cannham, Matt (June 29, 2016). "Utah's Misty Snow makes history as Democrats' transgender Senate nominee". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  27. ^ Congress, Maebe A. Girl for. "Maebe for Congress 2024". Maebe for Congress 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  28. ^ Coleman, Emma (August 21, 2019). "The First Drag Queen Elected to Local Office Is Making a Run for Congress". Route Fifty. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  29. ^ a b Lank, Barry (October 10, 2022). "Candidate Maebe A Girl explains where she stands on the issues". The Eastsider LA. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  30. ^ Ciriaco, Mike (September 15, 2021). "Maebe A. Girl wants to be the first trans member of Congress". Hey SoCal. Change is our intention. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  31. ^ "iVoterGuide". Archived from the original on April 4, 2021.
  32. ^ Girl, Maebe A. [@Maebe_A_Girl] (February 26, 2020). "Bernie is electable -look at how he's already doing in the primaries. #NotMeUs" (Tweet). Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Twitter.
  33. ^ Girl, Maebe A. (May 3, 2021). "If y'all didn't know, Eric Garcetti is termed out and I'm excited to endorse @mayoralexla to be the next Mayor of LA". Instagram.
  34. ^ Garcia, Brandon (August 26, 2023). "Maebe A. Girl wants you to vote for her ideas, not her identity". WEHOVille. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  35. ^ "Election Results". results.lavote.gov.
  36. ^ "Election Results". results.lavote.gov.
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