The Oregon House of Representatives kicked off a new legislative session this week not with a pledge, prayer, or moment of silence, but with a nearly five-minute drag queen performance right on the floor.
In what many are calling an “ostentatious display of political activism,” two Portland-based drag performers, Isaiah Esquire and Aqua Flora, were invited by Democrat Rep. Travis Nelson to perform in full gold costumes.
The performance, which featured lip-syncs to Aretha Franklin’s “A Deeper Love” and Beyoncé’s “I Was Here,” was supposedly in celebration of Pride Month.
The show ended with a standing ovation from much of the Democrat caucus.
Others, meanwhile, looked on in visible discomfort.
The dancers pranced across the floor of the legislative chamber, with no legislation yet introduced for the day.
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Nelson, who is Oregon’s first openly LGBTQ+ black legislator, framed the performance as a celebration of “joy, resilience, and cultural impact.”
He also introduced the very first measure of the session: A resolution honoring “Oregon’s rich history of black drag.”
The resolution passed 34–9, though many Republicans did not vote or abstained in protest.
Not everyone was applauding.
“Turning the House Floor into a smokey bar is beneath the dignity of this body,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, condemning the spectacle as a breach of chamber protocol and an inappropriate use of official time and space.
“Opening ceremonies are not the time or place for ostentatious displays of political symbols and social activism,” she added.
While a spokesperson for House Democrats insisted that both parties routinely invite guests and performers to opening sessions, critics argue there’s a clear difference between a high school choir and a nightclub-style drag show in the people’s chamber.
Rep. Nelson pushed back, however, claiming the event was protected under free speech and constitutional rights.
“Each legislator has the right to invite guests,” Nelson said.
“As long as they follow the rules, their presence is fully protected by the Oregon and U.S. Constitutions.”
However, guidelines from the Chief Clerk’s Office explicitly state that opening ceremonies must not be used for “proselytizing or persuasion” or to “advocate political views or policy interests.”
Still, House staff defended the performance.
Chief Clerk Tim Sekerak said such ceremonies are intended to reflect “many cultures, faiths, and beliefs.”
But for many watching, both in the room and across the state, the drag performance felt less like “inclusion” and more like indoctrination.
While Oregon grapples with soaring homelessness, rising crime, and a drug crisis following Measure 110, critics say the legislature’s priorities appear increasingly out of touch.
As one observer put it bluntly:
“The House floor isn’t a cabaret.
“It’s where laws are made.”
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