The Politics of Drag

Drag performers have long been at the forefront of the LGBTQ rights movement. This also means they are routinely attacked by those opposed to LGBTQ rights.

Learn about the current wave of anti-drag legislation, how it relates to politics today, and how the LGBTQ community has responded to these attacks.

Dr. Melissa R. Michelson and Dr. Edward Kammerer, Jr., authors of multiple books and articles on LGBTQ politics, will discuss the politics of drag and drag performers (drag queens and drag kings), including their efforts to Drag Out the Vote, and why politicians in various states have recently worked to either ban or protect drag performances.

About the Presenters:

Dr. Melissa R. Michelson is Dean of Arts & Sciences and professor of political science at Menlo College and past president of American Political Science Association Latino Caucus and of the American Political Science Association LGBT Caucus. She is the award-winning author of eight books, including Listen, We Need to Talk: How to Change Attitudes about LGBT Rights and Transforming Prejudice: Identity, Fear, and Transgender Rights.

Dr. Edward F. Kammerer, Jr. is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Idaho State University where he specializes in law, LGBTQ Politics, and political science pedagogy. He is a co-editor of Teaching LGBTQ Politics, the first book focused specifically on how to teach LGBTQ politics at the college level. He currently serves as Chair of the American Political Science Association Sexuality & Politics Section and as the inaugural APSA/Political Science Education Fellow for Inclusive Classrooms.

This free event received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St., Menlo Park, CA

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