One of Arizona’s most famous drag queens took off his gloves to attack longtime former pal and professing MAGA fanatical gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake for what he considers her bare face hypocrisy over drag shows.
Lake’s campaign tweeted indignantly on Friday that “they kicked God out of schools and welcomed the Drag Queens. They took down our flag and replaced it with a rainbow. ”
But Lake has attended “countless” drag shows and private events with Richard Stevens, who has been acting as the funny Barbra Seville for 25 years, the Arizona Republic reported Friday. Stevens shared text messages from Lake, and photos and social media posts of her links to Stevens and drag shows.
Stevens told the newspaper he once even acted as Marilyn Monroe in front of Lake’s daughter when she was 9 or 10 years old.
“She has taken a side in the culture war, but her actions in the past do not support it,” Stevens told the Republic in an article published Saturday.
“Of course my feelings were hurt. It just proves she’s a hypocrite. “She threw away my friendship to get votes from people who would rather hate gays or drag queens,” Stevens said.
In a 2014 Instagram post – unearthed by Brahm Resnick, a reporter at NBC-affiliated KPNX in Phoenix – Lake writes, “Half of what I learned about makeup, I learned by watching friends like Barbra Seville.”
Lake’s campaign told KPNX on Saturday that “Richard’s accusations are full of lies. ”
The candidate’s spokesman, Ross Trumble, told the Republic that Lake’s daughter attended a baby shower where Stevens “showed up as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator.”
It “was not a drag show, and the issue we’re talking about is not adults attending drag shows either,” the campaign told KPNX. “The issue is activists who are sexualizing children and need to stop it.”
A campaign statement also noted: “Not once has [Lake’s] daughter was at a drag show. But since she is over 18, if she chooses to do so, it is entirely up to her. ”
The campaign apparently did not address whether Lake and Stevens, to whom his first name was referred, were friends, and whether Lake attended drag shows.
Others have accused Lake, who was previously a Democrat, of falsifying her right-wing credentials and outrage in an attempt to ride the extremist train to a victory over Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. She also highlights the lie that the 2020 election of Donald Trump was stolen as part of her campaign.
When printed, Lake could only prove she’s been a member of the National Rifle Association since last year, according to the Republic. She also once proposed an amnesty plan for millions of migrants, but now wants them out of the state.
