One morning in March, Lil Miss Hot Mess woke up to discover that a sitting member of Congress had called her a monster.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) had used her as a prop to justify the GOPs nonsensical war on PBS. According to the MAGA congresswoman, the Public Broadcasting Service, known for beloved childrens shows like Sesame Street and Daniel Tigers Neighborhood, had become a radical left-wing echo chamberfocused on grooming and sexualizing children. Related When the going gets tough, the queens get going: Why drags rich history should fuel the resistance During her committee hearing on defunding the network, Greene aired a video of the Drag Story Hour icon reading an excerpt from her childrens book, The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish. Greene called it repulsive and called Lil Miss Hot Mess a child predator.The things that she said about me were especially nasty, and I think in any other context would have been considered a form of defamation or slander, Lil Miss Hot Mess told LGBTQ Nation. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today "The hips go swish, swish, swish? that's repulsive" Marge Green is big mad[image or embed] Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 26, 2025 at 11:30 AMBut this was far from the veteran performers first time at the rodeo of hate. It wasnt even the first time shed been dangled as public bait by a federal politician. And like every other time before, she has used the moment as fuel to propel herself forward. After all, she emphasized, Republicans should know that it takes a lot more than name-calling to bring down a drag queen.Were larger than life and were not going to back down, she said.In some ways, the art of drag is forged through the kinds of oppression that weve experienced historically, and being able to find ways to reclaim the slurs that are used against us and to find joy and humor in the moments of sadness and pain. Were really good at it.Besides, she added, its time for America to rediscover its backbone.The country as a whole is in a moment where we have to relearn what it means to stand up to bullies, she said. A quick glance at her social media accounts confirms she has a knack for taking back power from those seeking to belittle her. Her posts mock the hate and the slurs and the ignorance. She jokes about the honor of being called out by hate groups and Fox News. She protests, speaks out, and encourages others to do the same. And perhaps most importantly, she radiates joy. Seriously, while wear it as a badge of courage to be listed among such cultural icons as Elmo, the lows this administration will go to try to erase LGBTQ+, BIPOC, immigrants, Muslims, disabled, and other marginalized people is disgusting. Get a new hobby! Lil Miss Hot Mess (@lilmisshotmess.bsky.social) April 16, 2025 at 7:51 PMAfter Greenes stunt, Lil Miss Hot Mess refused to let her have the last word. She responded with a biting essay in HuffPost. What is ironic about Greenes attacks is that while she accuses public media, childrens authors and drag storytellers like myself of brainwashing children, it is Greene who wants to control minds through censorship, she wrote. But drag can be an antidote. And thats exactly why drag performers belong in public education and media.They're just mad I'm a true multihyphenate: I'm out here publishing books and turning looks. Lil Miss Hot Mess (@LilMissHotMess) May 20, 2023 In a separate statement, she declared, Americans candecidefor themselves who thereal monsteris.She more than stands by her decision to speak out, voicing disappointment with the many institutions and leaders who claim to be working strategically against the current administration despite public silence.When they threaten you you need to stand up and loudly say no, she said. Here's my message to @GovStitt. We see what you're doing, and we're not going to stand for it. pic.twitter.com/MZBVZvNSLD Lil Miss Hot Mess (@LilMissHotMess) May 11, 2023Enraged & fabulousLil Miss Hot Mess was a drag queen before she even knew what one was. As a kid, she loved to dress up and perform, putting on shows with a towel over her head to mimic a big wig. These days, she said, Drag Story Hour allows her to connect with kids who are bursting with the same kind of imagination and creativity and who might be searching for permission to express themselves for who they are.She described the program as magic. Honestly, I'm glad at least she chose a really great photo of me. She's clearly not familiar with the concept of "never work with kids or animals or queens."[image or embed] Lil Miss Hot Mess (@lilmisshotmess.bsky.social) March 26, 2025 at 6:34 PMIts really helped me understand drag as a form of play, she said. Her passion for Drag Story Hour is so strong that, in addition to writing three childrens books of her own, she co-authored a research piece on its pedagogical benefits (When shes not in drag, shes Harris Kornstein, assistant professor in the Department of Public & Applied Humanities at the University of Arizona).To the unimaginative adult it might seem that the world of drag and the world of children are impossibly distant from one another, she wrote in the study, along with co-author Harper Keenan. Yet, their meeting has left many audiences wondering why they hadnt considered it before. Though I wrote it earlier this fall, in a different global political climate, several parts ring true differently now.Drag is neither a solution to, nor distraction from the horrors of the world. But it reminds us that we need play, creativity, and imagination to make change. Lil Miss Hot Mess (@LilMissHotMess) December 21, 2023The paper explains that Drag Story Hour is not about asking kids to imagine themselves as queer or not queer or even to walk in someone elses shoes. Rather, its about seeing what its like to walk in different versions of themselves and get to know different elements of their inner selves.Its perhaps not surprising, then, that Harris Kornstein doesnt see Lil Miss Hot Mess as a persona or alter-ego. Drag just allows me to let other aspects of my personality and identity shine, she said. In my everyday life, I tend to be a little bit more shy or reserved When I get in drag, it allows the loudness, over the topness, unabashedness to come out.While she tries not to let right-wing vitriol get to her, she hates to see her lifes work being used to justify the GOPs actions. Theyre certainly not trying to debate the merits of my work in any sort of meaningful, genuine way. But instead theyre using it to defund public institutions Its enraging.Indeed, anti-LGBTQ+ hate has become a major path to power for todays right-wing politicians who have found success using bigotry and fearmongering to justify dismantling federal programs. Lil Miss Hot Mess pointed out that Greene, herself, jump-started her political career by protesting none other than drag story hours. But the backlash once felt manageable until the GOP started whipping up its base over radical gender ideology.Over the past decade, Lil Miss Hot Mess has seen it escalate before her eyes, from small religious protests when the event first launched to todays onslaught of anti-drag bills and massive standoffs with neo-Nazis. Her own events have never experienced protests from dangerous groups like the Proud Boys, but plenty of others have.Lil Miss Hot Mess during a Drag Story Hour event at the Cortelyou Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library | Paolo QuadriniIn recent years, she has been mocked by the violence-inducing social media account Libs of TikTok, her events have been cancelled due to threats, and she has been slammed by Fox News for writing a book on how drag intersects with digital privacy. Shes been called a groomer and a predator, and she was even featured in a Marco Rubio senatorial campaign ad warning about the dangers of the left.The thought that I or other drag performers would be harming children is just so upsetting [and] even the insinuation that we are indoctrinating children is also just absurd. The whole project of Drag Story Hour is to open up kids imaginations. Its to encourage curiosity and creativity and critical thinking.The reality is the right wants to tell people what they should think, how they should act, who they should be. So to accuse us of indoctrination just really feels like a sort of reflection and misdirection of their own actions.But no matter how scary it feels or how hurtful the words can be, Lil Miss Hot Mess has only worked harder. She has only sought out more ways to be seen, hosting more events, writing more books, posting more photos. In turn, she helps others kids and adults alike feel seen, too. She emphasized that above all else, theres one big thing keeping her going: Knowing that Im right.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.