SILVER LAKE —A civic-minded, genderqueer drag queen known for her impersonations Melania Trump, Kellyanne Conway, and Betsy DeVos wants a seat on the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council.
Maebe A. Girl
Maebe A. Girl — who also identifies as nonbinary and uses she/her and they/them pronouns — has always been interested in politics and government, especially local government, she said in an interview with Q Voice News.
“Government action begins at the local level and queer representation is a necessary part of today’s politics,” she said.
The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council election will take place Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church.
Maebe A. Girl, who produces the weekly drag brunch Green Eggs & Glam at The Lyric Hyperion Theatre and Café in Silver Lake, is on the ballot for Region 5.
“I believe change begins from the bottom up,” she said. “As a public figure in the local L.A. drag scene, I want to use my platform for positive change. When you have an audience, give them a message.”
LGBTQ agenda
Maebe A. Girl’s platform includes public safety and transportation, homelessness, and LGBTQ advocacy.
“I want to ensure that Silver Lake, with its rich LGBTQ history, remains a safe space for vulnerable minorities,” she said.
Before Stonewall, the Black Cat in Silver Lake had LGBTQ protest
For example, more than two years before New York City’s Stonewall Riots in 1969, Black Cat protests, one of the first organized LGBTQ protests in the nation, took place in Silver Lake.
“The mere act of being in drag, or of openly living as an individual on the trans spectrum, is an act of defiance against gender norms,” Maebe A. Girl said. “It stirs people for reasons both good and bad (for those that oppose our kind). What it says is, I’m a person who chooses to live my life freely and without apology, and refuse to be constrained by the traditions of our oppressive society.
“Once people see that we are here, there, and everywhere, we then have an opportunity to demand our rights and dignity,” she said.
LA Pride 2017: Alexei Romanoff, original Black Cat protester, named grand marshal
Homelessness
Homelessness is also a platform issue for the performer, who has volunteered as an overnight supervisor at homeless shelter.
Maebe A. Girl wants to tackle the problems in several ways. She wants to continue distributing hygiene kits and connecting HIV testing vans with homeless people for STI treatment and prevention.
“I mostly want homeless people to be treated with dignity in our neighborhood and not viewed as simply an eyesore,” she said.
Dangerous intersections
Maebe A. Girl also wants to address the dangerous intersections in the neighborhood, including one near her apartment at Myra and Del Mar avenues.
“I have close calls nearly every time I cross that street on foot or by car. It makes me worried because there are a lot of kids that walk by everyday because a school is down the street,” she said.
People also use the intersection as a shortcut to reach a nearby bar, she said.
Silver Lake Progressive
Maebe A. Girl is part of a coalition of candidates under the banner, Silver Lake Progressive. Each candidate runs on different issues, but she said they share a core set of values:
- Being a resource for the community
- Advocating for diversity and inclusion
- Enhancing public spaces
- Supporting small businesses
