Florida governor Ron DeSantis has positioned himself as an unapologetic culture warrior by attacking LGBTQ-inclusive education and whining about the ‘woke’ left. The Republican presidential hopeful’s zealous drive to roll back protections for trans and queer folks in Florida has turned the state into a breeding ground for right-wing policies. It’s a political arena that Michael Travis, who performs as the fabulous Erika Rose, is navigating as she tries to unseat incumbent state representative Jim Mooney, a two-term Republican who represents Florida House District 120 in Key West. If she wins, Rose could become the first openly performing drag queen in the history of Florida’s state legislature. She tells PinkNews that Florida politics must be truly absurd if a drag queen is running for office. Rose decided to run for office after traveling to the state capitol in Tallahassee among hundreds of other performers and LGBTQ+ advocates to protest against Florida’s anti-drag bill (SB 1438) in April. Erika Rose says Florida politicians have ignored the real issues residents face including housing market troubles, the reef system dying, and reassuring LGBTQ+ tourists it’s safe to visit the state despite the hostility; rather they are using their time to attack drag queens and trans folks. #Queer Up Politics