Embattled U.S. Rep. George Santos was drag queen in Brazil pageants, performer says

Record ID: 1707862

  • Title: Embattled U.S. Rep. George Santos was drag queen in Brazil pageants, performer says
  • Date: 24th January 2023
  • Summary: NITEROI CITY, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (JANUARY 23, 2023) (REUTERS) BRAZILIAN PERFORMER EULA ROCHARD POINTING TO THE NITEROI MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART ROCHARD LOOKING AT ART EXHIBITION ROCHARD LOOKING AT SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN PERFORMER, EULA ROCHARD, SAYING: "I was lying in bed watching the national news, and they started talking about this
  • Embargoed: 7th February 2023 22:09
  • Keywords: Brazil Congress George Santos U.S beauty pangeas
  • Location: NITEROI CITY, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • City: NITEROI CITY, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001463024012023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. Representative George Santos competed as a drag queen in Brazilian beauty pageants 15 years ago, an old acquaintance of his told Reuters on Monday (January 23), in contrast to what Santos has said, which has drawn criticism for the openly gay Republican congressman who holds staunchly conservative views.
    The embattled freshman congressman has also faced calls from fellow New York Republicans to step down over fabrications about his career and history.
    A 58-year-old Brazilian performer, who uses the drag name Eula Rochard, said she befriended the now-congressman when he was cross-dressing in 2005 at the first gay pride parade in Niteroi, a Rio de Janeiro suburb.
    Three years later, Santos competed in a drag beauty pageant in Rio, Rochard said.
    Rochard told Reuters that the 34-year-old congressman participated in drag queen beauty pageants and aspired to be Miss Gay Rio de Janeiro.
    Santos is the first openly gay Republican to win a House seat in Congress as a non-incumbent, but has positioned himself as a staunch conservative on many social issues.
    He has backed Florida's controversial "Parental Rights in Education" law, which prohibits classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, leading critics to call it the "don't say gay" law.
    Republicans are increasingly denouncing drag shows and performers, claiming they are harmful to children.
    Santos, responding in October to criticism of his support for the Florida law, told USA Today: "I am openly gay, have never had an issue with my sexual identity in the past decade, and I can tell you and assure you, I will always be an advocate for LGBTQ folks."
    Rochard said the congressman was drag queen in 2005, with a simple black dress, but in 2008 "he came back to Niteroi with a lot of money," and a flamboyant pink dress to show for it.
    Santos competed in a drag beauty pageant that year using the drag name Kitara Ravache but lost, Rochard said.
    "He's changed a lot, but he was always a liar," Rochard said.
    (Production: Sebastian Rocandio, Liamar Ramos)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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