Queer Momentum uses drag to call on Canadians to vote against discrimination

OTTAWA — Queer Momentum executive director Fae Johnstone says she wants Canadians to help safeguard LGBTQ rights in the upcoming federal election — and she’s using drag to reach them.

Johnstone says the expected spring election offers a moment for Canadian voters to ensure this country doesn’t “fall victim to the kind of ideology and hate that has gripped our friends south of the border.”

The new prime minister is set to be sworn in shortly after the Liberals select their new leader on Sunday, and a federal election is likely to follow soon after.

“We don’t know what the outcome of the election will be, but what we can do is show parties that our community is united, that our allies are backing us up, and that we are a political force to be reckoned with,” Johnstone said in a recent interview.

More than 100 drag artists from across the country are launching Drag the Vote, an effort to recruit “drag ambassadors” to use their social media presence and public appearances to defend LGBTQ rights in the coming election.

Johnstone said it’s an effort to mobilize against what she calls a rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in the political sphere in recent years.

Provincial governments have brought forward policies that require parental permission before using a student’s preferred name or pronouns at school.

Egale Canada, an advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ people and issues, has also noted a rise in anti-LGBTQ protests and instances of online hate.

“It’s a time where in Canada and around the world, regression is happening before our eyes,” Johnstone said.

Through the campaign, Johnstone says she hopes to bring “record numbers of queer and trans people and allies out to the voting booth.”

She and the drag artists are seeking to do that by connecting audiences — both “the gays who are out at the club, but also the moms and dads who go to story hours” — to vote for the politicians that support the community.

They’re also selling merchandise to fundraise, branded with slogans like, “Live, Laugh, Love My Trans Kid” and “Drag the Vote.”

Johnstone said drag is an inherently political art form, especially now that it’s being challenged in cities across the country and performers have been targeted in growing numbers.

That makes drag artists a natural choice to lead the campaign, she said.

“The message is for Canadians to speak up for their freedom, equality and human rights and to vote for politicians who will uphold those principles,” Johnstone said.

“Core to this campaign is a belief that Canadians are good people — that we believe in diversity and that we want to build a country where we respect our neighbours, where we protect human rights, and where we come together as communities and as Canadians to build that better future for everybody.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press