With dramatic eye shadow, bright lemon-lime fingernails and hair from here to Tallahassee, Brita Filter looks like-minded thinkers in the eye and tells them what’s what.
What You Need To Know
- Florida Democratic Party launches “Drag Yourself to the Polls” initiative
- Initiative features video voting pitches from 3 notable drag queens
- As Florida race tightens, Dems urge participation from LGBTQ+, younger voters
- DECISION 2020: Florida early voting numbers, locations, latest news, what you need to know to vote, and more
“Florida Democrats, listen, y’all better vote Blue and get ‘45’ out of the office, honey,” Filter says in a YouTube video. “You have the power to make change.”
Filter’s 52-second pitch is part of a new push from the Florida Democratic Party — a “Drag Yourself to the Polls” initiative — that it says aims to encourage voting from LGBTQ+ residents and younger people.
The initiative comes as Donald Trump, the 45th U.S. president, tightens the Florida race against Democratic challenger Joe Biden into what some polls and observers call a tossup. Both camps consider Florida — by far the biggest battleground state — essential for victory, and their Sunshine State outreach campaigns have kicked into overdrive as the November 3 election approaches.
As part of the initiative, the Florida Democratic Party has teamed up with notable drag queens Filter, LaGanja Estranja, and Willam Belli. The organization says it will release videos on social media platforms from the three personalities through Election Day. Those platforms include TikTok and Snapchat — popular with younger people, it says.
“Our right to love, to marry, to work and to serve are all at risk in this election,” Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Juan Peñalosa said in a news release. “And while this election has very real and very frightening consequences for our community, we are responding with humor and grace and grit.”
Brita Filter is the stage name of New York entertainer Jesse Havea, reportedly the first drag queen of Polynesian descent to appear in the reality TV series “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
In the YouTube video, Filter shows up with a chocolate cake and a bright spatula, with rows of even brighter shoes in the background.
“Ohhh, here I come, girl,” Filter says. “I come bearing gifts. I’ve got this cake, this delicious cake, this cake I voted for.”
Filter takes a bite from the spatula.
“Umm, that tastes like equality for all,” Filter says.
Another bite.
“Um, affordable health care. … Um, oh, God, this is something. I’m such a genius. What else is in here?”
One more bite.
“Oh my God. Transgender rights? Hallelujah!”
The video ends with a still-frame appeal from Florida Democrats to vote.