West Michigan drag queens want to help Gen-Z ‘Slay the Vote’ this fall

There’s a lot on the line this fall for Gen-Z, especially those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

In West Michigan, a group of local drag artists has committed themselves to being a reliable resource for young voters before they go to the polls this November. 

Who said registering to vote couldn’t be fun?

Civic duty, Gen Z, and creativity are the center of ‘Slay the Vote’—a voter engagement party being hosted by the Kent County Democrats on Monday, October 7 at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids. 

This free event is open to voting-age attendees (18+) and will feature performances from some of Michigan’s fiercest drag queens, a voter registration table with additional resources, and opportunities for attendees to meet local candidates running for office this fall. 

“[Drag] queens have always been at the forefront of fighting for civil rights,” said Matthew Morey, office manager for the Kent County Democrats, in an interview with The ‘Gander.

“That tradition is carrying on today because our (LGBTQ+) community—on a deep and granular level—understands the impacts of elections, of who’s in office, and what laws are being passed because a lot of times, we are one of the first groups of people to be negatively affected by those things.”

That was the case for Gabriella Stratton Galore, a drag artist and co-organizer for Slay the Vote.

“From a very young age, I recognized that I wasn’t allowed to get married like everyone else and that our society had much work to do in becoming the nation of freedom and equality it claimed to be,” said Galore in an interview with The ‘Gander. 

Galore, along with fellow drag artist and event organizer Alex Suarez, said they’ve learned that many Gen Z voters feel the same way—especially as studies continue to highlight the correlation between state-level anti-LGBTQ+ laws and the increasing number of suicide attempts among LGBTQ+ youth. 

READ MORE: A therapist and a scientist talk about how gender-affirming care impacts LBGTQ+ youth in Michigan

While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other Democratic lawmakers have found ways to secure protections for LGBTQ+ Michiganders over the past two years, the Democratic trifecta that’s allowed them to do so could be at risk in November. 

Michigan has one of the most vulnerable state governments in the country, according to predictions by the Center for Politics. There are 110 seats from Michigan’s state House of Representatives on the ballot this year, which are currently occupied by 56 Democrats and 54 Republicans. The GOP is making a serious effort to flip at least three of those seats—upending the balance of power in the Mitten state.

“So if we don’t have all of these people get reelected and then maybe pick up a couple extra seats, all of this progress goes away,” Morey said.

At the federal level, control over the US Senate runs through Michigan, where Democrat Elissa Slotkin’s race against Republican Mike Rogers could be what ultimately holds the chamber for Dems in Congress—or what flips control of Congress in favor of Republicans altogether. 

Reporting over the past two years has also revealed that far-right Supreme Court justices like Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito want to overturn Obergefell vs. Hodges—a 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage. Additionally, Project 2025 outlines several anti-LGBTQ+ policies that could impact all families in the US if Donald Trump—who already has a bad track record with the LGBTQ+ community—is elected president. 

“There is a court case working its way up through the federal court system right now with the express intent of overturning Obergefell,” Morey said.

“And as soon as that goes, states across the country are going to go back to marriage being between one man and one woman. The constitution of the state of Michigan, back in 2004, was changed to define marriage as being between one man and one woman. And so when Obergefell goes, what’s going to happen to our marriage? What’s going to happen to future marriage equality?”

“And so these issues are very much still prescient. They’re very much still contended or contentious, and we have to continue to fight. We have to.”

“We need to be involved in our local government, and make sure that even at a city level that our voices are being heard,” said Suarez to The ‘Gander.

“It’s not like having Gretchen Whitmer and her cabinet on our side is where it stops. We have to still make sure we’re advocating for ourselves. They’re not our saviors by just being there in office—there’s still a lot of work for us to do.”

Galore and Suarez aren’t the only drag artists who want to help get younger voters to the polls this year. 

Founded earlier this year by a coalition of former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestants, Drag PAC is a political action committee dedicated to engaging, educating, and mobilizing Gen Z voters and progressive allies ahead of the upcoming election. 

After talking to Suarez, Drag PAC organizers offered to sponsor two additional drag artists from Chicago to perform at Slay the Vote—Boy J and Miss Toto. Additional entertainment sponsors include the Dunes Resort, which has been home to drag entertainment in Michigan for decades. 

“It’s just amazing to see everyone in the community here in West Michigan united in this drive to do something and make a difference in this election,” said Galore.

Galore added that they are excited about connecting with young voters and democracy—and performing music from Charli XCX’s Brat album.

“It’s a great opportunity to show the greater community at large that we’re just people. At the end of the day, we’re not any different than any other person,” said Galore.

“Queer people have always been here. I think we’re seeing this huge renaissance of a new generation, and I love it.”