Republican Rep. Nancy Mace launched a new attack on drag queens this week, but the Drag Race divas are hitting back.
The South Carolina conservative drew attention during a congressional hearing when she displayed photographs of Drag Race host RuPaul and stars Kandy Muse and Joey Jay as she argued that drag “sexualizes” children.
In a subcommittee hearing Tuesday, examining the Trump administration’s assertion that the Smithsonian is insufficiently patriotic, Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said the institution had "become infected by a woke ideology." Mace criticized the National Museum of American History for displaying a photo of drag legend and Emmy-winner RuPaul.
“RuPaul is a man that dresses like a woman, literally," Mace said, before launching into an attack on drag queens which relied on the tried and true GOP rhetoric that equates LGBTQ+ people and drag queens with child predators.
"Do you know how many kids get raped by adults in this country?" she asked during the hearing. Mace went on to argue that displaying photos of drag queens for children puts them at risk. "Putting this kind of crap in front of kids sexualizes them," she said. "Makes them vulnerable to people who wanna abuse them."
The queens didn’t take the insult from the loudest and proudest anti-trans Republican lying down. RuPaul has yet to comment, but both Kandy Muse and Joey Jay clapped back on X (formerly Twitter).
Kandy Muse wrote, “can I sue?” along with a reposted image of Mace holding up their photos at the House hearing. Joey Jay took things a step further when she commented, “I’m talking with my lawyer I’ll let you know what he says.”
Other Drag Race stars also weighed in after the Here’s Why Kevin Instagram account posted a clip from the hearing.
Willam wrote in the comments under the video, “the continental congress wore wigs and heeled shoes. they’re in the museum and didn’t want to rape kids did they? well other than thomas jefferson but besides the point.”
Cynthia Lee Fontaine also wrote a comment, reminding Mace that she might want to pay closer attention to the child sexual abuse happening in churches instead of what drag queens are doing.
"@repnancymace instead of focus on artist who do female illusionist that do more for the society in general and contribute culturally to the history of our country, why don’t invest your time in education and also getting churches investigated for sexual abuse and conversion therapies damaging children by the pastors. This last groups I mentioned are really a HARM to children. Get your facts right sweetie," she wrote.
Mace, who has built her career in Congress around attacking the trans community, held up the photos of drag queens and a leather harness as part of the Republican led committee’s attack on a temporary Smithsonian exhibit that closed in 2021 called “Illegal to Be You: Gay History Beyond Stonewall,” which explored the criminalization of queer people and the fight for equality.
Smithsonian Director Anthea Hartig defended the exhibit, explaining that everyone under 18 had to be accompanied by an adult and that “no one complained” during the exhibit’s run at the museum.
Demonstrators protest with signs outside U.S. Supreme Court on June 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Justices released several opinions before departing on traditional summer recess.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court held in West Virginia v. B.P.J. (decided together with Little v. Hecox) that neither Title IX nor the Equal Protection Clause prevents states from barring transgender girls from girls’ sports. But the majority opinion, written by Justice Kavanaugh, is a narrow one, and its limits are significant. Here are the most important.
It permits these bans—it doesn’t require them
The Court held that states and schools may exclude transgender girls from girls’ and women’s teams. It did not hold that they must. The decision removes a constitutional and statutory obstacle to the bans; it does not impose them. This ruling does not require states and schools that have chosen not to discriminate against transgender girls to abandon those inclusive policies.
It leaves the door open for inclusive policies
The Court pointedly declined to foreclose inclusion. It left open the question of whether schools that want to let transgender girls play on girls’ teams may do so. In a key footnote, the Court called this a “distinct question,” not presented in this case, and stressed that “[n]othing in this opinion is intended to decide” it. That question is now moving through the lower courts, and schools that welcome transgender athletes remain free to adopt and defend inclusive policies.
It is limited to the sports context
The Court repeatedly emphasized that sports are distinct, and it tied both halves of its analysis, the Title IX holding and the equal protection holding, to that distinctiveness. The majority drew an explicit contrast with “a typical employment or educational opportunity where equal protection often may require that the government generally treat an individual without regard to the individual’s sex.” The opinion does not present its reasoning as a general rule for other settings such as classrooms, restrooms, or school programs.
It does not resolve the underlying science
The Court did not find that transgender girls who have taken puberty blockers or hormones have any competitive advantage. It described that question as “the subject of ongoing medical and scientific debate” and “not settled” at this time. Rather than resolve it, the Court said that “[t]he legislatures and the schools are better equipped—and under the Constitution, are the more appropriate entities—to assess the competing medical and scientific considerations and draw appropriate lines.” The ruling rests on the majority’s view that intermediate scrutiny does not demand an individualized fit, not on any factual finding about athletic advantage.
It leaves the level of constitutional protections for transgender people open
Addressing the argument that these laws discriminate against transgender people, the Court declined to decide whether classifications targeting transgender status receive rational-basis review or heightened scrutiny, holding that the laws survive “either way.” The majority did not hold that anti-transgender classifications get only rational-basis review. That question remains formally unresolved, and a future case could still establish that laws targeting transgender people warrant heightened constitutional scrutiny.
A setback, not the end of the road
This is a disappointing decision, but a narrow one, a setback, not the end of the road. The Court decided only what states may do in the specific arena of sports. It did not resolve the science, settle the standard of constitutional scrutiny, or take away schools’ freedom to include transgender athletes. Those decisions still sit with school boards, athletic associations, and the people who actually know these kids. Every child deserves the chance to play sports with their friends and to learn what sports teach: determination, resilience, and teamwork. This ruling doesn’t change that.
Shannon Minter is the legal director at the National Center for LGBTQ+ Rights and one of the nation's most influential civil rights attorneys. This piece first appeared on NCLR's blog.
Billboard for the 988 suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline, Outfront Media branding visible, Oakland, California, November 5, 2025.
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Less than a year after the Trump administration eliminated the specialized LGBTQ+ youth option within the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, California lawmakers are advancing legislation to bring it back.
Assembly Bill 1540, introduced by Assemblymember Mark González, would require California officials to establish a pathway for callers to dial 988 and connect directly with counselors trained to work with LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, effectively recreating the "Press 3" option that disappeared nationwide last summer.
The bill passed the Assembly last week on a 64-8 vote and now heads to the Senate.
For González, a gay Democrat representing Los Angeles County's 54th Assembly District, the measure is about more than a hotline. It is about whether states will step in as federal protections and programs affecting LGBTQ+ people disappear.
"We knew what this federal administration was going to do on day one," González told The Advocate in an interview. "We knew this federal administration was going to attack women, LGBTQ individuals, people of color, and our immigrant population."
Last year, the Trump administration ordered the closure of the LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program within the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Beginning in 2022, callers could press 3 after dialing 988 or text "PRIDE" to connect with counselors trained to work specifically with LGBTQ+ young people experiencing a mental health crisis.
The service officially ended on July 17, 2025, after the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced it would "no longer silo LGB+ youth services" and would instead focus on serving all callers through the broader 988 network. The agency's announcement notably omitted any reference to transgender people, who the federal government does not acknowledge per an executive order by President Donald Trump on the day of his second inauguration in January 2025.
The shutdown drew widespread criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates, mental health professionals, and lawmakers who argued the move stripped away a proven resource for a population facing elevated risks of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts.
California’s proposal is designed as a direct response.
"California is going to stick up to this federal administration," González said. "We are going to save the lives of our LGBTQ youth, and we're going to make sure that we put a bill in place," restoring the service.
The specialized network had become one of the most heavily used components of the national crisis system before its elimination.
According to legislative materials supporting AB 1540, the LGBTQ+ youth subnetwork received more than 73,000 contacts from California between July 2024 and June 2025, accounting for roughly 9 percent of all contacts routed through the network during that period. Nationwide, the service handled more than 680,000 contacts in a single year, representing approximately 14 percent of all 988 contacts.
The Trevor Project, one of the organizations that staffed the specialized network, said the service connected more than 1.5 million crisis contacts to trained counselors between its launch in 2022 and its closure in 2025.
Those figures have become a central argument for supporters of the California proposal, who reject claims that LGBTQ+-specific services are unnecessary.
The legislation's supporters point to a substantial body of research showing LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges and suicide risk.
The Assembly Health Committee's analysis cites data from The Trevor Project showing that 39 percent of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered suicide in the previous year, including 46 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth. More than 1 in 10 reported attempting suicide. The analysis also cites research findings that affirming services, supportive adults, and LGBTQ+-inclusive environments can significantly reduce suicide risk.
"It's heartbreaking to see a lifeline that received 1.5 million contacts over three years ripped away over political talking points," González wrote in legislative materials supporting the bill. The issue is also personal for him. During his interview with The Advocate, González described a friend who sought help through 988 during a mental health crisis before later dying by suicide.
"I shared a personal story about a friend of mine who utilized 988 in early April, and it did help save his life," González said. "And then, unfortunately, as of early May, he took his own life."
The experience, he said, highlights how dependent many people are on crisis intervention services. "You have individuals who are relying so heavily on an infrastructure and assistance just to be able to talk to somebody and not take their life," González said.
AB 1540 would require the California Office of Emergency Services to ensure that technology exists to route callers who dial 988 to LGBTQ+ specialized youth suicide prevention providers. It would also establish a state grant program for qualified organizations and make funding available through California's existing 988 behavioral health crisis system.
The legislation was amended to acknowledge the major challenge of the national 988 system remaining federally administered. Under the bill, California would formally request federal approval to establish a state-specific LGBTQ+ routing option. Last year, González authored a separate law requiring many California middle schools, high schools, and public colleges to print The Trevor Project's crisis hotline information on student identification cards.
AsPride Month begins, González said the fight over the hotline is ultimately about whether LGBTQ+ young people know someone is there when they need help. "We always have to remember Pride was a protest. It's not a party," he said. "The reason why you have Pride is to tell people that you're celebrated, you're one of us, you're with us." For González, the debate over AB 1540 comes down to something simpler than politics.
"It's not legislating lives," he said. "It's saving lives."
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna attend Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 34th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 15, 2026, in West Hollywood, California.
Tommaso Boddi/WireImage via Getty Images
Lisa Rinna has never been especially interested in softening her language. Two years ago, she warned that the United States was flirting with authoritarianism. Now, she says, it’s no longer flirting.
“We’ve ended up in a really bad place,” Rinna told The Advocate in an interview on Tuesday.
Rinna and her husband, actor Harry Hamlin, will be honored this summer with the 2026 Nancy Pelosi Equality Ally Award from Equality PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Equality Caucus. The award recognizes public figures who have demonstrated sustained commitment to LGBTQ+ rights. It will be presented in June at the group’s National Pride Gala in Washington, D.C.
“Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin represent the very best of what allyship looks like in action,” Equality PAC co-chairs Rep. Mark Takano of California and Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York said in a statement. “Across decades of groundbreaking work on screen, they have not only helped shape our culture, but consistently used their voices to affirm the dignity, humanity, and rights of LGBTQ people.”
“Their support has been proud, unwavering, and deeply meaningful to a community that continues to fight for full equality,” the congressmen added.
Previous honorees include Eugene Levy, Ted Danson, and Mary Steenburgen. For Rinna, the recognition also carries personal meaning. “I think she’s a rockstar, icon, amazing,” Rinna said of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, for whom the award is named. “So I think just to go and be given this award, it just means a lot.”
The recognition comes after decades of mainstream success for both performers. Rinna became a household name on Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place before later joining The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, earning a Soap Opera Digest Award and multiple Daytime Emmy nominations as a host. She recently made headlines as an original traitor on Peachock’s The Traitors. Hamlin rose to prominence on L.A. Law and in films such as Clash of the Titans, and later earned an Emmy nomination for Mad Men.
But both say the honor reflects something beyond their work on screen. Rinna described the current political moment as one that demands urgency. “Harry and I discuss it constantly,” she said. “Why aren’t people just talking about the authoritarian takeover that’s happening right in front of our eyes? Why aren’t we just talking about that?”
In a 2024 interview with The Advocate’s sibling publication PRIDE, Rinna warned that the country risked losing its democratic foundation. That warning, she said now, feels less like speculation than reality.
“The big agenda, the thing that’s going on, is a full-on Hitlerian authoritarian takeover of the greatest brand ever created in human history, which is the United States of America,” Hamlin told The Advocate on Tuesday. “And we’re losing it.”
For him, the mechanism is rooted in a familiar politics of fear.
“To demonize minorities, that’s the playbook,” Hamlin said. He pointed to the targeting of transgender people, alongside immigrants and other marginalized groups, as central to that strategy. “It’s all about creating fear around the other,” he said. “Right now, the other is trans people, it’s gay people, it’s minorities, it’s Black people, and it’s immigrants.”
Rinna said that in a moment like this, people with public platforms have a responsibility to raise their voices.
“I just try to speak out, speak my mind, support, and stand up for everyone that doesn’t have the same voice or is too fearful to do it,” she said. “A lot of people won’t take that stand.”
Her connection to the LGBTQ+ community, she added, is personal. “Some of my very best friends in life are gay and trans, and they are so special to me. They’re like family,” Rinna said. “So I feel very strongly about protecting the underdog always.”
Standing up for LGBTQ+ people, she said, is not strategic. “They have been the most supportive of me in my career, and I just think that it’s my job to give back.”
Hamlin said he has been watching global politics closely, pointing to Sunday’s election in Hungary as both a warning and a source of cautious optimism. Voters ousted longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after more than a decade in power, rejecting a system widely criticized for curbing press freedom and advancing anti-LGBTQ+ policies. The race drew international attention, including a visit from Vice President JD Vance, who traveled to Hungary to rally support for Orbán and amplified President Donald Trump’s backing of the embattled leader. After the loss, Vance downplayed the result, calling it disappointing but not consequential.
For Hamlin, the outcome sparked optimism. “That shows us that we can reverse this trend, that we can take our country back,” he said, calling the result “a harbinger of wonderful things to come.”
But he also stressed the timeline. “What happened in Hungary took more than 10 years,” he added. Hamlin argued that silence now is not neutral. “When our kids or our grandkids ask, ‘What did you do at that moment when democracy was being stolen?’” he said, “that’s the question.”
His own commitment, he noted, dates back decades. In 1982, Hamlin starred in Making Love, a film about a married man who comes to understand he is gay and falls in love with another man. At the time, Hollywood had little appetite for stories centered on same-sex relationships.
“At the time, nobody wanted to touch it,” Hamlin said. “But it was something that needed to be expressed, discussed, talked about.”
“If we can make enough noise so that people recognize that this is another step toward making the LGBTQ community completely accepted,” he added, “then we’ve done our job.”