George Santos' Drag Queen Admission Is a Complete Disaster for Republicans

Newly elected Republican congressman George Santos continues to be a headache for his own party, as the representative finally confirmed he has performed in drag on at least one occasion.

The admission, made in an interview with ABC 7 on Saturday as the congressman returned home to New York over the weekend, came after Santos had repeatedly denied ever dressing in drag despite evidence to the contrary.

Several images and videos showing Santos in drag have recently resurfaced online and have been widely circulated on social media. But the New York congressman claimed he only ever dressed in drag once at a festival in Brazil.

"I was young and I had fun at a festival—sue me for having a life," he told ABC 7 on Saturday. Last week, he described claims he had performed in drag as "outrageous" and "categorically false."

While Santos' drag performances aren't an issue per se, the reports—as well as his denial of the claims and now his admission—are likely to put the Republican Party in a very awkward spot.

As part of a broader right-wing push against LGBTQ rights, several Republican lawmakers have recently tried to limit or ban drag performances—especially those with kids in the audience, like drag story hour—claiming the shows are inherently sexual or obscene and harmful to children.

In at least eight states—including Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas—legislators have proposed anti-drag bills in recent months.

Republican lawmakers in Arizona and Oklahoma have this year proposed bills comparing drag shows to "adult cabaret performances," seeking to make it a misdemeanor or even a felony to hold a drag performance in a public space where children could be in attendance.

In November last year, a Texas lawmaker introduced a bill that would classify venues hosting drag performances as "sexually oriented" businesses and would make it a misdemeanor to admit anyone under 18 in the audience. In June last year, Michigan Republicans proposed a law allowing parents to sue their children's schools for hosting drag shows.

Attempts at criminalizing drag shows—performances which have long been celebrated by the LGBTQ community—and recent attacks on trans and LGBTQ rights by conservatives across the country have led to an increase in anti-LGBTQ sentiment, threats and violent protests against performers and the community at large.

Santos made history last month when he was elected as the GOP's first non-incumbent openly gay candidate to Congress. While many touted his victory as the sign of a new generation of LGBTQ conservatives emerging within the GOP, the revelation that he performed in drag hit the party at the core of what have been its recent battles against the LGTBQ community.

And perhaps the biggest headache for the GOP is that Santos initially denied claims he had ever performed in drag, apparently not telling the truth about his past.

The congressman has recently come under fire for lying about several aspects of his career and biography during his electoral campaign, including graduating from college and working for two major Wall Street firms. Among other fabrications, Santos claimed that his mother was inside the World Trade Center on 9/11, while in reality she was living in Brazil.

While Santos appears to be in line with his party on many issues, including supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation like the Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, the scandals that have recently hit the congressman may make him something of a liability for the GOP.

Several Republican members of Congress called for the congressman to resign following the exposure of his largely fictional résumé, but party leaders are standing by him, keen to avoid losing the narrow majority in the House.